Calling All Contestants!
by King Caspian the Seafarer
Summary: When six archers from different worlds and times are summoned to Rivendell, the result can only be the most epic archery competition in the history of the bow. Will we finally get an answer to the question "Who is the greatest archer in the worlds?" Crossover, featuring characters from LOTR, Narnia, Avengers, Brave, Hunger Games, BBC Robin Hood, and BBC Merlin. COMPLETE.
1. Collecting Contestants

**Title: Calling All Contestants!**

**Summary: **When six archers from different worlds and times are summoned to Rivendell, the result can only be the most epic archery competition in the history of the bow. Will we finally get an answer to the question everyone is asking: "Who is the greatest archer in the worlds?" Crossover, featuring characters from LOTR, Narnia, Avengers, Brave, the Hunger Games, BBC Robin Hood, and BBC Merlin.

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**A/R (Author's Rant, as opposed to the general Author's Note at the beginning of common stories): **

1. None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. **All of them.**

2. We did a lot of research, but seeing as we are not the creators of the characters or worlds included in this story, **we cannot claim to understand fully **the delicate and detailed interworkings of the landscapes, cultures, and personalities of everything involved. This is our interpretation and twist of events. If you find errors (especially you LOTR nitpickers…I know you're out there!) please let us know cordially and hastily so that we may make changes as required. Or explain why we wrote it that way.

**3. And now, a note from the Co-Author: **I, Waves, 1) am not a figment of King Caspian the Seafarer's imagination and 2) resent being called a sidekick (on the poll). I think I am most definitely a part of the mainkick.

4) Go vote on the poll on my profile page if you haven't yet. **Who do you think should win the Interworld Archery Competition? **Also, updates will be sporadic (since Waves is a perfectionist and no, Waves isn't like Leon. Waves actually exists). So either subscribe/follow or check back later for updates.

Enjoy.

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**Chapter 1: Collecting Contestants **

"_Hobbits_!"

A soft mist swirled around him, combing through the pale green blades of grass and nearly enshrouding the many silvery pools scattered throughout the woods. He could not catch sight of the sky above, though the green light descending through the leaves was inviting enough. Legolas' eyes narrowed as he scanned the drowsy scene before him. Why were his feet wet? Why was he furious at hobbits, who (as far as he could tell) were not present in the woods that surrounded him?

Something was wrong.

"Is that your name?"

Legolas whirled around to find the origin of the unfamiliar voice that had asked this question (a woman's voice), but his body barely obeyed. It was as if he was submersed in one of the pools, his limbs and mind made sluggish by the silvery water. To his surprise, standing near the woman who had spoken (a graceful looking lady with long brown hair and questioning gray eyes) were four others. The smallest of these was a young girl in a long turquoise dress with an unruly mass of flame-red curls. She sat beside a tree and was crying as if her heart would break. The next was a short, bearded man, and a little way off from the other three was another brunette (her hair was tightly braided, and she was wearing _leggings_, of all things) tensely leaning against a tree. She was a little shorter and seemed less kindly than the lady who had addressed him.

Strange. He should have noticed them sooner, especially the muttering bearded man and the crying girl. Cocking his head, Legolas inhaled sharply. There were no other sounds, no birds, wind, insects, or any other animal, yet this wood felt so…_rich_.

"Excuse me, good sir. Are you quite well?" the graceful woman asked.

His frown deepening, Legolas scanned the woods again. This was not Middle Earth, at least not any forest of Middle Earth with which _he_ was familiar, and he had visited all of them. So where was this?

"Are you alright?" the woman persisted.

"I—I cannot remember," Legolas murmured. It was the most frustrating sensation—a lost, bewildered sort of haze hung over him, where all his important thoughts hovered just out of reach. He caught at one of them, but it flitted away too quickly. "The trees…they feel so old. And…young." Indeed, Legolas could have sworn he could actually feel them growing.

The tall brunette smiled. "Fear not, good sir. The feeling will subside in but a moment. You said something when first they brought you through the pool. 'Hobbits,' I think it was."

"Hobbits?" He did not see any hobbits around, and this was certainly not the Shire. "What is this place? The trees are quiet as if all that happens here is truly nothing at all."

The woman nodded thoughtfully. "Is it not sad? In my country, the trees dance in the wind and speak to us the things of the past while we drink ices and wine."

"That's just stupid," the shorter brunette snapped. "Trees don't talk, they don't dance, and they _certainty_ don't sip iced drinks!"

"I realize this is hard for you to understand, Katniss," the tall brunette reasoned smoothly, "but sometimes other worlds open up to us for some reason or another without a logical explanation. We must be patient and have faith that there is a reason behind all of this."

"Worlds?" Legolas asked, even more confused than before as evidenced by his furrowed brow.

"That's what she keeps saying, but I think it's just some crazy dream." The one called Katniss snorted and promptly sat against the tree she had been leaning against.

Legolas studied the short, bearded man who had fallen to his knees, gazing into one of the pools, still droning to himself about someone named Miriam while tears shimmered in his shining eyes. It was a sad sight (though the elf could hardly spare the courtesy of inquiring as to the man's troubles while his own were not yet sorted).

The tall woman shook her head at the girl called Katniss and responded coolly, "From what I have gathered, we have all been brought from different worlds—and maybe even different times—to this wood."

"Impossible." Nothing was making sense. Legolas' head began to throb with an excess of information that made about as much sense as a dragon standing guard over a pile of sand. His head had never throbbed like this before, not even the day after Gimli's absurd drinking game back in Edoras. Was this an illusion that only the most powerful magic in Middle Earth could conjure? Was this just a dream? Was he dead? Surely this was not Valinor. It seemed too… apathetic.

"Well, unless you have a better thought, it's all we have to go on," the woman said, a little stiffly. "If you insist upon avoiding discussion of this delicate subject (which you are obviously having some difficulty accepting and understanding), will you at least tell me your name?"

Feeling light-headed, Legolas reached out to steady himself against a nearby gnarled tree. As soon as his fingers touched the bark (it was throbbing, throbbing, throbbing with light and joy and _life_) all of his thoughts rushed back, and it was well that he was gripping the tree, for he would have otherwise fallen over with the weight of them.

He had found his memory.

* * *

He had been hunting goblins near Moria with Gimli. They had already explored the Glittering Caves of Helm's Deep as well as the organic wonders of Mirkwood and were returning to Balin's tomb for a proper remembrance (and to see if any mithril remained—they were certainly not there merely for nostalgia's sake).

Without the threat of the Balrog (and also taking into mind that most of the goblins had fled after the fall of Sauron), hunting goblins was a much less dangerous sport than before. On the other side, Gimli had expressed some hope that they would find a way through the mountain and maybe, one day soon, see about getting the secret door in the walls of Moria repaired from the Watcher in the Water's fury.

"Think about it, Elf," he had said, grinning and elbowing Legolas none too gently (in the leg). "T'would make a grrreat summer getaway, when you get tired of hunting stags in the high heat of midsummer. You could stay nice and cool inside here and never mind about chasing rrabbits all day!"

When they had reached Balin's tomb, Gimli had looked rather doleful, so Legolas decided to give his friend a moment or two of silence, alone with the grave of his father's friend. Careful to keep the stillness of the mountain unbroken, Legolas trod soundlessly through the stone hallways (he was an elf, after all), glancing at each pile of slowly disintegrating bones and wondering if the long dead creature was one he'd killed long ago when the Fellowship had made its way through. A dull piece of metal caught his eye. It was an Elvish arrowhead.

Suddenly, there came a thud and a rattle behind him; two voices yelped at each other. Legolas spun, an arrow on his bow string, but instead of bow-legged goblins, he saw, staring up at him from the dimly lit side of the crumbled hallway, two filthy hobbits.

"Hobbits!" he exclaimed, lowering his bow in relief. "What brings you here to the Mines of Moria?" He wanted to add, "And how did you arrive here, when last I heard, you were in the Shire for the rest of your days growing sideways?", but his intuition told him they would eventually explain.

"Legolas!" Pippin exclaimed, face alight with delight. "Just the elf we wanted to see."

Then Merry and Pippin rushed forward (Legolas shook his head, enjoying the sight of the two curly heads bouncing joyously above those ridiculously large, hairy feet) and embraced him. (Legolas would have preferred the usual Elven greeting of clasping forearms.) Despite their smallish size, they nearly knock him over in their excitement.

"I must know," Legolas said after greeting them properly. "What brings you here? Surely it is a strange place to find two hobbits, even two of your boldness and fame." He replaced the arrow in his quiver as a courtesy.

The hobbits exchanged a quick look and Merry said, "I say, Legolas, you wouldn't mind…um…humoring us for a minute, would you?"

Legolas quirked an eyebrow at him and replied, "Humoring you? In what, may I ask?"

"Close your eyes."

Legolas frowned at the unexpected request. What on Middle Earth…? He shook his head. "If this is a trick, I should warn you that Gimli stands on the far side of the hall and will not hesitate to avenge me in the event of any mischief."

"Of course we would never do anything horrible...like take you…or anything," Pippin stammered.

Merry laughed nervously, gesturing something to Pippin. "Oh, just…come on, Pip, just put it on!"

Pippin slipped something on his finger and grabbed Legolas who had opened his mouth to shout for Gimli to come (for surely they were up to no good) only to gasp as the air flooded from his lungs. Then everything around him turned blue and began to crush him, drowning him (he seemed to be in water, yet now he could breathe; nothing made sense). And then they were rushing upward, the three of them, to step out of a pool hardly larger than a puddle in a misty wood that felt so old and so young all at the same time…

* * *

"Hobbits!"

Legolas clenched his fist and looked down at his soggy, muddy boots (you see, the hobbits had rather forgotten to lead the poor elf out of the pool, and Legolas had only just wandered out when his senses began to return). He had come from one of the pools. But how was that, unless… gateways. They were gateways to other worlds. The woman was right—it was a sort of…wood between the worlds. How strange, yet he should have guessed it at once. Frowning again, Legolas searched the ground around him. Where was his bow?

"That is your name then? Master Hobbits?"

"What?" Legolas eyed the brown haired woman with new eyes. He no longer felt sluggish (either in mind or body) now that his memory had returned (thanks, it appeared, to the magical trees of this wood). "Where are they?"

"Where are whom, Master Hobbits? I and the others are still here. I am Queen Susan of Narnia." She made a little curtsey and smiled, as if hoping an introduction would restore his sanity (which she seemed to think was somewhat lacking though he could hardly blame her).

"What?" Legolas shook his head to clear it and remember his manners. "A pleasure to meet you your highness, of course," ("Please, just Susan," the queen replied, flushing a little), "but my name isn't Hobbits. I am Legolas of the Woodland Realm. Where are the hobbits?"

Her smile finally fell, as if she thought she'd had it all figured out only to realize she was actually more lost now than she'd been before.

"Are they alright?" Legolas asked, gesturing to the weeping red-head and then the moaning man.

"Merida? Yes," Susan said decidedly. "She was alone when they brought me here—apparently (if I understand their reasoning) they got her first because she was a girl and the smallest. When they explained it to her, she nearly knocked them both down. As for the distressed man—" (she politely nodded to him rather than pointing), "I think he will be fine…with a bit more time." She hesitated, and then added, "If "Hobbits" is not your name, then what are hobbits?"

"Hobbits are Halflings, small folk, about the size of a small child." Legolas' eyes roved about the forest, searching for any sign of them. He could not remember what had happened after they appeared in the wood, only that a few seconds later he was staring about confusedly, wondering what he was doing here and who all these people were. He still had not really cleared up that last bit.

"I 'em not a chil'!" The red haired girl stopped sobbing just long enough to shout this with a furious glare at Legolas (she had apparently only heard the last bit of his statement and thought he was referring to her). She threw a small rock at him; he moved in time to avoid getting hit.

"Of course you're not a child, Merida," Queen Susan replied gently, resting a hand on the girl's trembling shoulder. "We were discussing some other individuals." She looked again at Legolas. "You mean the two who brought us here, then? I thought they were young dwarves."

"Dwarves?" a familiar, indignant voice chimed in. "Well, I'm offended. You, Merry?"

"Most certainly, Pip. How could they mistake our lovely feet for those of an ugly dwarf?"

Legolas turned to find the two trouble-making hobbits standing in one of the pools with a muscular, strangely dressed, and very drowsy man behind them.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked them, reaching for one of his knives.

"Don't get angry at us, Master Elf," Merry said with a laugh, clearly noticing the threatening gesture. "We were sent by Elrond."

"Asked us 'imself," Pippin chimed in with a wink, completely oblivious to the potential threat. Susan caught Legolas' eye, and he reluctantly drew his hand away from the knife. He watched as the hobbits led the clearly dazed man out of the pool and left him standing there beside it. "So. We're all here now, right?"

"Hm…" Merry looked around the circle of bewildered, confused, and furious people (respectively), and nodded. "Yes. Six of them, mostly sane."

"Right!" Pippin rubbed his hands together eagerly, then something seemed to dawn on him. "Um. Merry, which pool is the one we go through to get back home?"

Legolas shook his head as the two entered a suddenly hurried and whispered conference. The dazed man they had brought with them (up out of one of the pools? Despite it being the only logical explanation, seeing it still did not make much sense) staggered a little, looking around him in bewilderment. Carefully reaching out a hand to steady him, Queen Susan asked him, "And from whence have these nice hobbits taken you?"

The man jerked back until he could lean against a tree, glanced around at the strange group, and frowned. "Who the h— are you? What am I doing here? Are you from S.H.I.E.L.D.?" (_Strange_. Legolas mused to himself. Touching the trees had restored his memory but not this man's. Perhaps it was because he was an elf.)

"You were kidnapped, like the rest of us," fumed Katniss, rolling her eyes. "At least now I'm not the only one _not_ dressed like a Capitol designer on a medieval rampage."

"I am Queen Susan of the land of Narnia," said the queen, quietly ignoring the outburst. "This man (Legolas raised an eyebrow at this) is Legolas of the Woodland Realm, and these others are Princess Merida of…of…"

"I'm not tellin' ye where I'm from," the red-haired girl snarled. "And I'll shoot you if you ask again."

Susan shrugged. "As I said, Princess Merida, Mistress Katniss of Panem—"

"Everdeen," Katniss put in sulkily. "My last name is Everdeen."

"Mistress Katniss Everdeen," Susan amended, "and this, I think, is Robin Hood, though he doesn't seem to be entirely …_there_, if you know what I mean."

At this moment, Robin Hood looked up as though he'd been shocked and gazed at Susan rather wistfully, mouthing "Marian" (not "Miriam", as Legolas had thought before).

"Well," said the new man, twisting around a little as if to look for something on his back. "I've never heard of any of those places. But I'm Clint—er, Hawkeye. From…America."

"America?" Susan frowned, as if it sounded familiar. "America."

"Yer all crazy!" Merida snapped, suddenly, fresh tears in her eyes.

"Not as crazy as your hair," Katniss sniffed. Susan raised her hands to forestall further pointless arguing. "Besides, America is long gone."

Legolas sighed and put a hand to his head. _Humans_. He turned to look at Merry and Pippin, who still had distressed looks on their faces, ignoring the sudden heated debate among the humans concerning the supposed existence and extinction of a place called America.

"I know Elrond must have a reason to bring a peculiar group of strangers to this place," he said to them quietly, "but what is next, and how do we get back?"

"He can't remember which pool we're supposed to go through," Pippin said, shrugging.

"Me? I can't remember?" Merry shot him a glare. "Don't be so hasty to accuse me, _Peregrin_ _Took_. Elrond told _both_ of us. How are we supposed to get back to Rivendell if you can't keep a simple thing like which pool is home in your head?"

Legolas rubbed his forehead again. "We are going to Rivendell?" At the hobbits' nod, he felt an insatiable urge to accept Gimli's next offer for another drinking contest. "_Eru_ above, I could have trodden there in a less than a fortnight! It's this pool, hobbits." He pointed with his foot at the pool they had brought him up through. "I will speak with Master Elrond about his choice of messengers."

Merry looked properly chastened while Pippin tried to protest and explain the situation, but after a minute, Legolas just shook his head and asked, "How do we get through the pool, little hobbits?"

"Rings," Merry replied, and held up his finger, on which Legolas noticed a sleek green band. "Not to worry. I don't think Celebrimbor or Sauron made these…" A frown creased his brow for a moment. "Anyway, get everyone to hold hands or something, will you?"

Legolas looked back, preparing the words to explain to the motley group that they all needed to be holding hands for this travel business to work (and noticing, by the looks on Hawkeye and Katniss' faces, that they would likely bite his head off if he suggested such a thing). Fortunately, Susan already had hold of a somewhat calmer Merida and had taken Robin Hood's hand (he looked dazed for another reason now), and was snapping at Katniss to get off her high horse and come on as well as encouraging Hawkeye that everything was going to be fine. Legolas took ahold of Merry's and Hawkeye's hands, hoping the encounter would not last long.

Once they were all linked, Merry stepped into the pool, and it was down, down, down. Greenish lights and that heavy, suffocating feeling returned, but Legolas could breathe normally this time. He didn't feel wet. And then suddenly they were all tumbling into the Council Circle at Rivendell, dry and breathless (though sprawled in an undignified manner across the ground) and feeling much less bewildered (apparently the wood had a strange effect on everyone's senses) though every bit, if not more, annoyed.

"Strangers from distant lands," said the voice of Elrond Half-Elven, who stood at the edge of the circle. "You have been summoned here to put the minds of many at ease. You will compete or you will fall. Each one of you is bound to this fate, this one question, which will be answered here at the first Interworld Archery Competition."

* * *

_**To be continued…**_


	2. The First Challenge

**Disclaimer: ****None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. ****All of them.**

**A/N: **Regularly scheduled updates have been planned for this story: we will be posting a chapter every Friday for your regular enjoyment. I apologize in advance for Hawkeye's bad language...we dashed them out, but if you feel it is still too obvious, please say so in your review and we shall edit them further.

**Anonymous Reviewer Lokki4Evva**: Waves asked me to leave this note for you-"While your opinion is valued, I find it all false. I am real. The end."

Enjoy!******  
**

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**Chapter 2: The First Challenge**

"Where the h—l are we?"

Queen Susan's eyes flashed as she turned on the one called Hawkeye and snapped, "Language, good sir! There are ladies and children present."

"I 'em NOT a chil'!" shrieked Merida, stamping her foot and glaring in a way that was the epitome of a child's tantrum.

Katniss eyed the angry girl in disgust while Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "I don't answer to you, nor do I care what the drama child thinks."

"I 'em NOT—,"

"SILENCE!" roared the voice of a very large man. He stood in the shadows behind the group, and the loud uproar startled everyone so that they whirled around to look. Hawkeye's anger ebbed instantly at the sight of a gigantic man whose unruly black hair, impressive (also equally black) beard, and arms (which were the diameter of a good sized tree trunk) spoke of remarkable strength requiring minimal effort. If he had been green and beardless, Hawkeye would have sworn that Bruce Banner had followed him to this strange place.

"Thank you, Master Beorn," said Elrond stolidly. He surveyed the unconventional group before him, locking eyes with each member to ensure he had their full attention before continuing. "I realize you may be unsettled by being seized from your homelands by our most…noble hobbits, but a question has long tormented the minds of many, and it is now that the answer will be determined:

"If put to the test, which of you noble archers would triumph as the best?"

Hawkeye snorted in disbelief. "I don't give a—" he paused, gave Susan a meaningful glance, and continued, "I don't care about any test. You're wasting my time here, and I really hate it when people waste my time."

"The time between the worlds has been halted," Elrond explained, "so that when you return to your own world, it will be as though you have never left."

"Pity," Katniss put in. "Wouldn't have minded losing some time in my world. Not that here is any better or that I believe the whole time-shift thing."

"What this man says is true," Susan said quietly, staring gravely at those around her. "I know, for I have traveled between worlds before, and have often wondered at the problem of time."

"We are not _men_," Legolas said, more annoyed at the cultural gaffe the lady had just made than the confusing situation around him. "We are elves."

Flushing a little from embarrassment, Susan nodded and said, "Oh—I am sorry. In my world we have dwarves and nymphs and centaurs and fauns, but I am unfamiliar with elves." (And although she didn't say anything about it, Susan had always rather imagined elves to be short and stout and appearing in a close proximity to Father Christmas.)

"Who cares?" Hawkeye exclaimed, reaching to draw an arrow only to realize with a frown, that they were missing. He glanced down at the smooth tile, which was chipped and worn with age, seeking some vestiges of patience. "What do we have to do to get out of here?"

"We have arranged a trial," Elrond began. "A test—each of you will shoot a single arrow. Your target will be thirty paces away. The victor will receive the title of the Greatest Archer in the Worlds, and everyone gathered here will be returned to their respective worlds."

Hawkeye and Katniss both let out vehement curses, during which Susan gave them glares and looked as if she was thinking about putting her hands over Merida's ears (in fact, she moved to do so, but stopped when Merida shot her a fierce scowl). Hawkeye gave Elrond a death-glare.

"You brought me all this way for a child's game?" He paused, and added, "No offense, Curls," at which Merida snorted. "I don't care if time is halted or whatever. This is a waste of my time."

Katniss added, "I have more important things to do than bow to the whims of the worlds—especially with all the trouble going on in my own world."

"You," Robin Hood rebuked Elrond, his finger upheld in accusation. "You had me ripped from death's grip, from the side of my beloved for this?! I waited long months just to see her again, and no game is worth being away from her side. "

("Wait, he was _dead_?" asked Hawkeye.)

"I'm sure it won't take long," Susan reasoned.

"It'd bes' not," Merida murmured. "I don' like tha look o' yah."

Legolas and Elrond exchanged a glance that, to the knowledgeable viewer, said quite eloquently, "Humans."

"Once you have all competed, and the question has been sufficiently answered, your lives will continue without further interruption," Elrond continued evenly. "This I promise though—the sooner the competition begins, the less time you will spend in this world."

All of the contestants agreed to getting it over with, though most of them muttered things concerning the stupidity of the competition, the absurdity of different worlds, and the wonderment that so many people had contemplated which of them was the best archer.

Elrond nodded in approval. "Then let us begin."

* * *

They were looking down at the long row of targets and preparing to argue over who was going to shoot first when the two hobbits returned, this time with two horses and a dwarf in tow. Legolas quirked an eyebrow as he studied the dwarf—he was about the same height as Gimli but had a shock of fox-red hair, and his armor looked much lighter and more intricate than most dwarf armor. Instead of an ax or sword, he carried a bow and was looking around with suspicion.

"ANGUS!" Merida shrieked, and suddenly shot forward from where she'd been sulking beside Susan (she nearly tripped over her long skirt in all the excitement) until she was close enough to fling herself upon the darker horse, which was stocky and had large, intelligent eyes. "Angus" whinnied when he saw her and nipped at her hair as she petted him lovingly.

"Some of your companions will be brought from your world," Elrond explained after a moment or two had passed (Merida was murmuring something in her horse's ear which sounded a lot like sobbing, though she staunchly denied later that anything was bothering her). "I am unsure if all of them will be brought here in time to serve as your companions and compatriots." Elrond looked meaningfully at the two hobbits.

The dwarf's eyebrows were furrowed low over his eyes. "Beards and bedsteads, who in the world are these people? You don't look like Telmarines, and you're certainly not Narnians."

Susan let out a cry and stepped forward. "You're a red dwarf—a Narnian! I am Queen Susan." When the dwarf only wrinkled his brow further, she straightened and said, "You must have heard of me, or of my royal brother, the High King Peter."

"By the Lion's mane!" exclaimed the other horse—not Angus (due to his excitement, it actually sounded more like a whinny than words). Everyone paused to evaluate their sanities and question whether or not they had really fallen into some strange dream instead of what seemed to be a reality in which they had all been transported to another world for an archery competition in which talking horses appeared.

Susan, however, was not fazed in the least (after all, she was a queen of Narnia), nor did she notice the others' discomfort. "You, sir— why you're a Narnian horse!"

The horse snorted. "Indeed, madam. I have the greatest honor of saying I've been introduced to your most royal consorts, King Edmund and Queen Lucy, and was their companion on my return to Narnia from Archenland after my escape from the accursed country of Calormen (and I do mean it was quite terrible) with his royal highness—"

"Prince Cor!" Susan exclaimed. "Why, then you are Bree! I only saw you in passing, but my sister spoke well of you. For what purpose have they brought you to this place?"

"His purpose," Elrond interrupted before the talkative horse could continue, "is to bear witness to this competition and help set your mind at ease during the contest with his familiarity and encouragement, as is this noble Narnian dwarf. Am I correct," he sighed, mentally cursing the hobbits, "in concluding you did not previously know either of them?"

Susan nodded, looking again at the dwarf (who had crossed his arms and was glaring at no one in particular and everyone in general) as if she was trying very hard to remember. He was mumbling something like, "How can they expect us to believe the fairy tales are come true—honestly, _humans_!"

"I apologize if your companions are not, perhaps, the most suitable for you, milady," Elrond added, looking about for the hobbits (who had, once again, disappeared to collect the next companions). He tempered his patience as only one of the Eldar could (had he been human, Elrond would have gladly bashed his head against a wall). "It seems as though our most noble hobbits simply chose whomever they could find first from your world based on whatever time they entered." He turned now to everyone else. "Each of you shall be given at least one companion, but they may come later in the competition depending on the speed at which the hobbits find them, although I now cannot promise their familiarity with you."

"Great," Katniss moaned. "They better not bring Gale. Or Peeta. Or my mom. Or my sister. Or Effie….or anyone else for that matter."

Hawkeye rolled his eyes, envisioning his fellow Avengers in this absurd setting. He decided that would be quite impossible. The Hulk would object for starters.

After the dwarf and two horses had been made suitably comfortable (though the dwarf was still considerably unsettled), it was time for the competition to begin. The six archers stood before their targets and Elrond addressed them to explain the rules.

"This is Boromir of Gondor," he began (Legolas gasped at this as if he were seeing a ghost- indeed, one could argue that he was), gesturing to the tall, dark-haired man wearing armor and a cloak who had just stepped up beside Elrond. "When he winds his horn, you may fire at your target. Whoever hits nearest the center shall be deemed the best archer in the worlds."

"It cannot be!" Legolas declared, staring at what he could not believe to be true. (Elrond really did rub his hands over his face. The day was running away faster than he could think.) "I saw you die. We put your body into one of the canoes of the Galadhrim and watched it travel down the falls."

"I hate to break it to you, buddy," Hawkeye said with a laugh, "but that's not a dead man."

"Indeed," Boromir said with the infectious smile that had won so many hearts back in Gondor. "As I understand it, the same people who requested this competition demanded I come back as well, though for what purpose, I cannot tell."

"Master Elrond?"

"The rings have allowed the hobbits to even travel to the realm of the dead," Elrond explained. "What Captain Boromir says is true; there was an overwhelming consensus that if Robin Hood could be brought back to life for this competition, Boromir should also have another chance at life for a time."

Legolas nodded, though he still did not completely understand, and remained silent. All of the other competitors shrugged off the strange moment (what was another after all they'd been through thus far?). Boromir caught Legolas' eye, confirming he really had returned to life (if only for the sake of this competition).

"Is everyone ready?" Boromir asked. He raised a white horn to his lips, and it was Susan's turn to gasp.

"Why that's the horn Father Christmas gave to me!"

"Ah yes," Boromir said a bit sheepishly. "Mine was broken, and Master Elrond decided yours would be a fine substitute."

"But it has magic," Susan protested.

At this, everyone broke out in arguments over the constant, not to mention outlandish, interruptions, and Elrond did manage to quiet them all down, though there is no need to delve into the details (quite boring and all). Elrond assured Susan the horn had no magic here in the Rivendell, and Susan said it was quite alright for Boromir to use it (she thought him a rather nice looking man.) In the end, they all agreed they were quite ready. Susan was shooting first, and Boromir moistened his lips and took a deep breath in preparation to blow the horn. (Elrond had originally planned for the order to be the youngest lady first to the oldest male last, but Susan felt bad for Merida and insisted she go first, though Merida staunchly denied being nervous even though she was.)

Susan stepped up to her shooting lane and selected a single red-fletched arrow. Despite her outward calm, she was quite tense and a bit shy, wanting to shoot well but not wanting to seem boastful about her skill. Taking a small breath, Susan raised her fine ivory bow and fired.

One down.

Merida was next. Thoughts about the day she competed for her own hand in marriage flashed through her mind and brought a smile to her freckled face. She felt in control. Lifting her bow and pulling it back, Merida felt everything slow down as she controlled her breathing and released.

Two away.

Katniss stepped up next, slightly worried about how well she would do. After all, when she had first shot in front of the evaluators in the Capitol, the arrow had completely missed. Remembering that anger, she drew her dull metal bow back and let the anger fly into the target ahead.

Three cleared.

Robin Hood was somber once more and looked around at the others, his eyes resting on Katniss for a moment. There was something about her drive that reminded him of Marian. Nodding to himself, he pushed aside the image of his beloved and pictured the surprised face of the sheriff of Nottingham. He pulled back on his bow smoothly and allowed the arrow to slip from his fingers.

Four gone.

Hawkeye rolled his shoulders several times to ease the tension and fingered a regular arrow, which felt almost strange after using so many of his specialized ones. (Legolas was quite intrigued by the complex, mechanical bow and was looking forward to seeing its power.) Eyeing the target far ahead, Hawkeye shot the arrow in one blur of raise, draw, and shoot.

Five spent.

Legolas was the last to compete (he was the oldest of the contestants by several hundred years and the second oldest of the entire gathering next to Elrond, after all) and felt no pressure. He had learned to aim within the treacherous forest of Mirkwood and had perfected his skill in battle. Nocking an arrow, he could not help but admire his bow, given to him by the Lady Galadriel herself. Feeling the familiar and easy draw weight only Elven masters could achieve, the arrow leapt from the bow.

Done.

Six horn blasts had split the air in two.

Six arrows had whizzed down the range.

Six arrows quivered in the perfect center of six identical yet individual targets.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	3. Rethinking the Contest

**Disclaimer: ****None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. ****All of them.**

**A/N:** Waves thanks you for all the kind comments. Hope you're all enjoying the story. Updates will continue to be on Fridays, but we may have extra updates if we get ahead in writing. Those will probably be on Mondays, so...well, no need to take any different actions. Just be aware. :)

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Rethinking the Contest**

Elrond cleared his throat, and Boromir chuckled. (He had asked Elrond what would happen if everyone scored the same, and while Elrond had assured him he had other tests in contingency, he had insisted they would only need the one.)

Cheers from Bree made Susan blush madly, Angus nudged Merida lovingly, and the red dwarf grumbled something about toads and candlesticks. All of the contestants eyed the results and simultaneously looked to Elrond.

"Will our contestants retire briefly while I consult with the other authorities on the matter of a six-way tie?" Elrond requested.

"We done then?" Hawkeye demanded. "No more tests, right?"

"I will give my decision in a moment," came the reply.

Hawkeye glared at the targets. "Great."

Susan thanked Bree for his support and looked up to see Robin Hood bowing to Katniss and saying something to her. It sounded like,"…a fairly good shot, but I could give you a few tips if you'd like…"

Katniss' cheeks flushed with color, and before anyone had a chance to react, she had drawn back her arm and dealt the outlaw a solid punch to the face. Robin Hood's head snapped back, and he staggered away with a cry, dropping his bow and putting both hands to his face as warm blood flowed around his fingers from his nose. Without pausing, Katniss punched him twice more in the stomach, then stomped down hard on his left foot.

A voice sounding more like a raging rapid than a man roared "STOP!," and the dark Hulk-like man grabbed Katniss and pulled her away from the howling Robin Hood, holding her aloft with one arm, his hand tightly gripping the back of her shirt. She struggled for a bit before realizing it would not loosen his grip.

"No fighting, young one," he told her grimly. "You, man—pull yourself together."

But Robin Hood was still moaning about a broken nose and probably broken teeth and maybe his stomach having been damaged and his foot most certainly so. He had moved to sit on one of the benches while cupping his face tenderly. (To be sure, Hawkeye, Merida, Bree, the red dwarf, Legolas, and even Angus exhibited facial expressions of misgiving.)

Susan let out a long sigh. "Katniss, that really was quite rude and unnecessary." She was at Robin's side in a moment. "You poor man. Lord Elrond, is there someone who will bring us clean cloths and water? This blood will stain his tunic, and I fear his foot is quite bruised."

"Indeed," said Lord Elrond who had been curtly distracted from his counsel with Boromir by the commotion, "we have a healer for these purposes. I will take you to him. The rest of you will follow Captain Boromir to your quarters, and Mistress Everdeen," (Beorn had released her by now), "I suggest you act appropriately or I will have Master Beorn be your living shadow."

The others complied without comment while Robin Hood did not move. Loosing another sigh, Queen Susan took him by the arm and said, "Come along, Master Robin. We will find the healer together."

She followed Elrond through an arched passageway, where flowers grew upon the trestles and tall, slender, ancient-looking trees stood peering down at her, almost sentient like the Narnian ones. Perhaps they had gained wisdom and the power of thought from living among these Elves, who seemed as old as the ages and as young as the morning dew.

They were in a city, she realized, as they came out into the open—a white city full of curving lines that matched the gentle bend of the waterfalls and rivulets below. She quite liked it, and would have paused to study the marvels further if not for the brisk pace of the elf and the distraction of helping Robin Hood. (Elrond was not actually walking quickly, but since he was so tall, his stride was much longer than that of either of the humans following him.)

"You're very kind, milady," said Robin. "For stopping her and coming with me."

"I didn't stop her," Susan replied gently, "but you are welcome for my assistance."

Elrond led her and the trembling Robin Hood (who still seemed to be in shock from the world-traveling on top of his perhaps broken nose and teeth and stomach and foot, not to mention the fact he'd been dead not two hours before being brought to this place) to an archway and bade them farewell. The archway led into a covered part of a courtyard, where an old man was dictating a list of things to a younger man. The young man looked a good deal like Susan's younger brother, save that he was even taller and ganglier than Edmund, but he had the same pale face and dark hair. He was dressed in a blue shirt with a red neckerchief, and brown jacket. When they approached, he looked up quickly and gave a smile that was full of laughter.

"Oh now," the old man said, looking up at the newcomers. "I am Gaius the physician. What seems to be the problem?"

"I believe this man mistakenly insulted a woman," Susan explained as she helped him sit. "And she reacted in violence."

Robin Hood shook his head in disagreement. "I told her she reminded me of someone dear to me that I'd lost, complimented her shooting, and offered to help her improve a bit of her technique."

"Well there's the problem," Susan sighed, smiling slightly. "I don't think she cares what you think about her _shooting_."

"Not sure it was her technique that he wanted to help her with." That was the young man, who said it under his breath rather sarcastically. Susan was about to inquire as to what he meant when Gaius asked him to go fetch some fresh water.

"Will he be alright?"

"I don't see why not," Gaius assured her. Robin winced as the old man felt his nose, stomach, and foot in turn. "A bit of hot water and a drought of pain medicine should do the trick." Seeing that Robin was in capable hands, Susan began to stroll around the room, admiring the paintings on the walls.

Merlin returned a moment later with the water but immediately turned around and left once more without a word.

"Merlin," Gaius asked as he dabbed at Robin's bloodied nose, "could you hand me that vial of potion over there?...Merlin?" Gaius looked around and sighed. "I swear, that boy never stays in the same place long enough to be useful." He got up and retrieved the small bottle of pain relieving potion. "Drink this and then I'll finish cleaning you up. Twill ease the pain." Robin downed the bitter liquid and soon felt sleepy.

"You may leave if you wish," Gaius said to Susan. "He'll sleep peacefully for a few hours."

Susan smiled and thanked the old man.

* * *

Susan had left Robin Hood in the competent care of Gaius, wanting to be alone for a time to explore the surrounding city (beside that was the fact that she had no idea where the others were). It was beautiful. Autumn had just begun, and the color of the trees was changing to a myriad of vibrant colors—pale yellow, glowing crimson, and shimmering orange.

Despite the strangeness of her circumstance, Susan had decided to merely accept the curious state of things and enjoy the moment. This place was most certainly attractive, reminding her of her own beloved Cair Paravel in the fall. The only thing missing was a vast ocean, though the waterfalls throughout the vale mesmerized the eyes just as easily. The ethereal scene would have been perfect if only her brothers and sister were present, and save for those brought here for the competition, the city was empty. The emptiness was a bit depressing, as if this magical world had been lost; forgotten. Its architecture and organic atmosphere spoke of so much life, but it seemed that the life that remained had been sadly neglected.

Wandering along a balcony, Susan heard voices overhead. One was the voice of Elrond. Susan decided he was a nice man (Elf, rather) though he seemed overly serious. She heard another two voices and could not resist a smile. The voices belonged to the two hobbits, Merry and Pippin.

Not wishing to intrude, but curious nonetheless, Susan cleared a small bench of a few leaves and vines before sitting down to listen to the conversation which followed.

"Where is Mithrandir?" Elrond inquired, staring severely at the two hobbits fidgeting in front of him. He pointed at a young man dressed in a blue shirt, red neckerchief, and brown jacket. "And who is this?"

"Oh, I'm Merlin." It took Susan a moment to realize it was the young man she had just seen with the healer Gaius. Merlin stretched out his hand in greeting; Elrond studied him for a moment, but did not move to accept the friendly gesture, so the young man continued awkwardly, "They said you needed someone who knows magic?"

"And what of Gandalf?" This to the hobbits.

"Ah, yes," Merry began.

"You, see," Pippin continued. "When we went to go ask him, he said he'd had enough foolishness to last several lifetimes."

"And that we'd best find some else to do the job, especially if it involved the two of us," Merry finished.

Elrond managed to suppress a sigh. "And of the others on the list of potential wizards?"

"About that." Merry again. "We went to go find some chap named Dumbledore, but we found out he was dead."

"The rings allow you to take people from the realm of death," Elrond said.

"Well," Pippin professed. "When we told him about the competition, he kind of went white…well, whiter than he already was.., right Merry?"

"Right. He mentioned something about how in the last competition he'd been a part of, someone had died…horribly."

"So we decided to let him be." Both hobbits were happy with their choice. "We also asked a few other chaps from that world, but they were either overly rude, happily dead, or completely insane."

"We didn't stay in that pool very long," confirmed Merry.

Elrond turned and began to pace towards the window and fresh, cool air. "What of the others?"

"We went to find Emrys at the same time as we were looking for the healer, but couldn't find any old man with magic."

"Apparently, magic's a bit of a touchy subject there," Pippin agreed.

"So when we couldn't find Emrys, we searched for this other sorcerer named Dragoon the Great, but couldn't find him _either_." The young man glanced back and forth between the two hobbits but remained silent when Elrond stopped his pacing to stare sternly at him.

"And so you decided this…boy would be sufficient?"

"Well,…yes," both hobbits chimed in. "We brought him with the healer Gaius, and later discovered he could use magic."

"Why did you bring him here in the first place?"

"The old healer claimed he would need an assistant, and that Merlin here could help as a servant for those in the competition. As soon as we heard he could use magic, our last problem was solved."

Seeing that the two hobbits were confident they had completed their task as requested, Elrond decided he would never use the pair to do his bidding ever again. "What do you have to say for yourself, boy?"

"I was born with magic, and I'm confident I have the skills you require," Merlin began with a mysterious smile. "I've dealt with dragons, sorceresses, all manner of monsters, and a clot-pole of a king for many years now. Also," he glanced sideways at the hobbits, "I'm actually Emrys and Dragoon the Great."

"No, you're not," Pippin said, staring at the young lad. "We were told those two were old men—one was a great warlock and the other a cranky old twit."

"I know a spell that can make me look older," Merlin explained a bit sheepishly. "I called myself Dragoon the Great at first because…it seemed a good idea at the time."

"And the name Emrys?" Elrond questioned.

Merlin cleared his throat a bit. "That's what the druids call me."

"This is all very hard to believe," Elrond said with a sigh. His brow lifted in disapproval, but he had no other alternative. Time was lacking, and he wanted to see the competition completed as soon as possible. "But it seems we have but one choice. You, Merlin, will provide the magic required since the first trial proved useless in giving us the answer we seek. Here is what you must accomplish in order for the other trials to succeed." With that, Elrond pulled a rolled piece of parchment from his sleeve and gave it to the young warlock. "I trust you will be up to the task."

Merlin swallowed nervously as he took the scroll. "I will do my best."

Elrond dismissed the group with a stern nod, and both the hobbits and Merlin were glad to leave. For some reason, the Elf's persona was none too friendly.

* * *

The last vestiges of sunlight filtered down through the intricate lattice pattern of the courtyard. Vines wove in and around the stone struts in no particular fashion as if to declare their wild defiance against order. Robin liked that. He lay drowsily on a simple cot in the medical courtyard, gazing at the ceiling and thinking back to his time in Sherwood Forest along with all of his companions, Little John, Will, Djaq, so many others, and Marian. Ah Marian, the light of his life! He missed her terribly.

Heaving a sigh, Robin turned his thoughts to the contestants. Katniss reminded him of his beloved with her wild spirit, but his charms had not worked on her, the result disastrous. No, Katniss wasn't like Marian at all. Marian, while defiant, took his charm in mock insult and cheek, never in brutal violence. But Susan. Yes, she was more like Marian, with her soft facial features and womanly poise. Susan had even mentioned being a queen! And she was most certainly gentle with a bit of steel in her. A smile stole across the woodsman's face.

"So let me get this straight." Robin Hood's ear perked up at the sound of the old man's voice. "Lord Elrond found out you have magic, and he wants you to help create the other two challenges?" (_Magic?_ Robin thought. _It's real?)_

"Don't look so surprised," the young man said, a bit offended. "I do know what I'm doing."

"I realize that, Merlin. It's just I'm not used to people knowing you can use magic and being alright with it."

The two were approaching Robin who had decided to feign sleep. If he could overhear the plans for the next two challenges, maybe he could practice more and have the advantage. He might even be able to tell Susan—and wouldn't she be grateful!

"Well, no one here seems opposed to magic." The young man was clearly pleased. "And, Elrond gave me the details himself." (Robin Hood opened one eye just a slit and saw Merlin holding a bit of parchment.)

"And you're sure you can do all of this?"

"Does anyone around here have faith in my ability? You said so yourself I have a natural talent for it."

"You also have natural talent for getting into trouble."

"But no one here has a problem with magic! In fact, they all seem glad I have it."

"Alright. Alright," Gaius consented. "No need to get excited, but I need you to go fetch some herbs for me."

"Really?" Merlin said in disbelief. "You want me to go find herbs now?"

"Well I realize you have very important duties now, Merlin, but since those two mischievous creatures brought us here so hastily, I didn't have time to bring many medical supplies. If I am to perform my duties properly, I need the herbs to make the potions, and you were originally brought here to be my assistant. So go. Assist me."

An exasperated protest came from the young man. "Fine, but Lord Elrond won't be happy if I don't start working on these tonight." He left with a stomp in his step.

Robin chanced another peak and saw, to his great luck, that the plans the frowning elf had given to the young wizard were sitting there on the table! Waiting for the old man to turn his back, Robin snatched the parchment and began to read.

_Interesting_, he thought.

* * *

"Well here's a sight!" a voice exclaimed in a gruffness only a dwarf could muster. The sound reverberated off the stone walls and fled into the dark valley of Rivendell. All of the contestants (save Robin Hood who was spending the night in the medical courtyard) looked up in surprise to see Gimli standing in the doorway with hands akimbo and looking much travel worn. He hungrily eyed the food which had been set out by Merlin earlier in the evening and had yet to be cleared.

"My dear Gimili!" Legolas cried, jumping up to greet his friend. The dwarf raised a hand to forestall the elf's advancement

"There I was, standing by my dearr father's friend's tomb" (by which he meant Balin) "when I heard a grreat clattering noise. And do you know what I saw? I saw two hobbits and an elf disappear like smoke. Poof!"

"I am sorry if I gave you cause for concern," Legolas apologized.

"Please, come in and eat, good sir. You look weary," Susan offered, curious to learn more about the new guest. (Indeed, she had been looking between the red dwarf and this one in confusion. They were so alike in many ways, yet different in many others.)

"Indeed I shall," huffed the dwarf. He sat down and eagerly began stuffing food and ale into his mouth.

Legolas could not help but smile at his friend, who had little concern for manners. A frown soon replaced the smile. "Gimli, how did you get down the mountain so quickly?"

The dwarf belched before replying. "What do you mean? It took me the better parrt of eight days to reach Rivendell after you vanished and a kindly eagle flew me half the way herre."

"Eight days?" Legolas wondered. Time, you see, is a tricky thing, and when the hobbits had brought him to the Wood Between the Worlds, it had only felt like he had been there for a few minutes, yet when they had returned to Middle Earth, days had passed without him knowing it.

"No matter, Master Elf," Susan assured Legolas, wanting to know more about Gimli. In fact she was about to ask more about the dwarf (she really was the only one interested, since Legolas was still contemplating the subject of time, and all of the others were in some corner lost in thought or trying to get some sleep. Most of them thought they had only to fall asleep to wake from this dream anyway) when the hobbits arrived with another (and very unstably balanced) guest. He had a stubbly blondish-grey beard, unkempt straw colored hair, and bright blue (but very unfocused) eyes. His clothes were strange to all but one of the contestants, and he reeked of strong drink.

"Ssso where'sss the party?" he slurred.

Katniss had rolled over from her bedroll at the sound of the new guest. Now she sat up, and her eyes widened, then narrowed, and finally she just let out a very loud, very angry curse.

"_Haymitch_? What are _you_ doing here?"

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	4. More Companions

**Disclaimer: ****None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. ****All of them.**

**A/N:** THE HOBBIT! Go see it, if you haven't, because even though they did things to it of which I did not necessarily approve (um...Gandalf, Galadriel...what was all /that/ about?) Riddles in the Dark /alone/ was worth it. And Martin Freeman. I do so love Midnight Showings. :)

Not much happens in this chapter except hilariousness, so please do read on. I hope you like Avengers, because...well, I suppose you'll find out why. Oh, and Lady Stormness and ReginaRose? Agent Coulson sends his regards, but he's too busy working on Thor 2 for even a guest appearance (what, you didn't think he really /died/, did you?).

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 4: More Companions**

"Why?" Katniss ranted as she paced back and forth along the edge of the balcony overlooking the valley below, leaving her breakfast to grow cold. The others were seated around the long rectangular table trying to eat their own food in some semblance of peace. The night had been a long one. "Why are the odds _never_ in my favor?"

"Come, now," Susan said, abandoning her own breakfast as she tried to calm the aggravated girl. "You must eat. I'm sure your friend is not nearly as bad as you claim."

The words did not feel quite right coming out of her mouth. After all, the man called Haymitch was currently slumped in a drunken stupor at the far end of the table mumbling incoherently. Since his arrival at Rivendell the previous night he had done little more than drink the remaining contents of his flask and snore loudly in his sleep. He reeked of a mixture of stale alcohol and the lovely scent of a body long overdue for a hot bath with liberal amounts of heavily perfumed soap.

Katniss glared first at Haymitch and then at Susan. "Yeah. Because you know him so much better than I do."

She glanced around at the table laden with food and drink, picked up a goblet of water, and marched over to the drunken man. Susan did not realize Katniss's intention until too late—until after she had dumped the water over her companion's head and snarled, "WAKE UP!" while slamming the goblet on the table in emphasis. Merida, who had quite lost herself in thought while staring at a roll (she had been thinking of her troublesome yet adorable triplet brothers), jumped in surprise and bashed her knee against the table.

"Watch it!" she cried out, angrily chucking the roll against her plate, off which it promptly bounced and went rolling off the table and down into the valley. The others at the table looked up, but wisely returned to their breakfasts without getting involved.

"Go find a real problem to pout about," Katniss muttered in disgust, prompting the curly haired red-head to flounce off into the garden so that she could sulk among the untamed vegetation where she felt more at home. She would have headed for the stables and Angus except that she didn't know how to get there, and she couldn't find that tall servant boy who'd taken all the horses there last night.

"That was _not_ very nice," Susan said, rebuking Katniss with a frown.

"Deal with it," Katniss replied acerbically. "I have other issues to handle." She turned to face the dripping Haymitch, squatting down to talk to him at eye level.

Susan moved to respond, but Hawkeye stopped her. "Leave them be. You don't need to mother-hen the girls. He looks like an old drunk who couldn't harm anything but his liver," Hawkeye said, eyeing the alcoholic with distaste.

Katniss and Haymitch had, by now, launched into a heated debate (somewhat slurred and irrational on Haymitch's part) in thankfully muted tones. Susan gave the pair one last look before returning to her meal. She would have liked to go after Merida, but she had the feeling the young girl had no desire to talk to anyone at the moment. The others at the table had already completely lost interest in the morning's drama (or rather, didn't care).

Hawkeye took a swig from his goblet and gestured at Haymitch.

"Personally, I think the two midgets should have left him in his world," he said to Susan, who was sitting diagonal to him. Robin Hood had chosen the spot directly across from Susan but hadn't had the opening to strike up a conversation yet, though not from lack of trying. He was practically bursting with the information he'd learned about the next challenge, but didn't want the others to hear.

"Do not speak of the hobbits that way," Legolas said defensively. He was sitting several places closer to other end of the table with Gimli beside him. While he agreed with Hawkeye about Haymitch's presence, he did not like his friends being insulted (even though they were driving him mad). Gimli belched loudly and waved for the elf to let it go.

"Look-" Hawkeye began.

The door leading from the inner rooms of the city to the courtyard that flowed into the dining balcony suddenly burst open, and in strode five figures Hawkeye would never in his wildest dreams have imagined seeing _here_. He closed his eyes, wishing them away to no avail. Robin Hood, whose back had been turned to the new arrivals craned around in his seat. Legolas and Gimli both paused with forks halfway to their mouths, and the bickering pair from Panem stopped for a moment to assess the newcomers. Susan looked at Hawkeye with concern at his reaction, then turned to look back at the five, rather heroically posed figures.

"So," the dark haired man with a nicely trimmed beard said with a grin as he looked around. "If this is Neverland, where's Tinker Bell?" His eyes fell on Legolas. "Hm. She's a little bigger than I'd imagined."

"How the h—l did you get here?" Hawkeye demanded, staring in disbelief. "No, wait. Let me guess. Two little guys brought you to a misty wood that messes with your head where you magically dove into a pool and ended up here."

"Pretty much," replied a nice faced, muscular man with short, sandy-colored hair. "I still can't believe it myself."

"I agree," added another well-muscled man with blond hair. He was a handsome fellow, but had the clothing and stature of a Viking god. "I have seen many strange worlds, but I have never traveled anywhere in such a fashion as this."

The others at the table exchanged confused expressions. They were getting quite accustomed to meeting new people and not having the slightest understanding of who they were or where they had come from, but that did not keep them from being surprised and bewildered at each new encounter.

"Is this even real?" a red-haired woman asked, looking around suspiciously while fingering her empty holster.

Hawkeye nodded. "Yup. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"Have you tried pinching yourself?" the first man said, walking to the table to grab a sweet pastry.

"No, Stark, I haven't. You're a real braniac," Hawkeye grumbled. "I'm pretty darn sure this isn't a dream. Nothing could make me dream up something this crazy."

"That's more of Stark's area," the final man piped up, nodded his head at the first man who had spoken. He also had dark hair, but his demeanor was much less arrogant, almost docile. His hands were jammed firmly in his pant pockets.

"Hey," Stark said (he was the man with dark hair and a nicely trimmed short beard), managing an injured tone with half a pastry stuck in one cheek. "This kind of trip is a little too crazy for me…even with a little help from imagination enhancers."

"Is that what you call them?" the other dark haired man said dryly.

"Hey Banner," Hawkeye began as the thought occurred to him. "Where's the other guy?"

Banner, the last man who had spoken, gave a wry smile ("the other guy", unbeknownst to everyone but this group of Hawkeye's companions, otherwise known to Earthlings as 'the Avengers', was a large green man known as 'the Hulk'). "He's behaving himself for once—though I have no idea why. And believe me, I tried to invite him after those little guys brought us here."

"Really?" Hawkeye mused, furrowing his eyebrows in thought.

Susan cleared her throat politely. "Excuse me, Master Hawkeye, would you so kindly introduce us to your friends?" She had been waiting patiently for quite some time and had noticed the others growing more restless with each passing remark.

"Why, Master Hawkeye," Stark said in great exaggeration, placing his sticky hand over his heart (or, rather, the glowing reactor keeping the shrapnel away from his heart). "Why doth thee make the fair lady wait to meet us humble folk?"

Hawkeye glared at him and sighed. "This arrogant and childish man-"

"ROBIN HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!"

A strangled shout rang through the courtyard like a gong and suddenly, in burst a small figure who almost bowled over the earlier arrivals and practically threw himself upon Robin, who was still sitting at the breakfast table munching on a strip of crispy bacon and staring at Susan longingly. "You're alive! I thought you were dead. I mean, she poisoned you, and you wondered off into the woods, and we found your body and…and….and…and we…um…we buried you. I even said a few words. Good ones too."

"Who's this guy?" the nice faced man (his name, they later discovered, was Captain Steve Rogers, but everyone called him 'Cap') asked Hawkeye.

"The man sitting is Master Robin Hood," Susan replied politely, gesturing gracefully.

"As in, the legendary one?" Natasha said in disbelief. Susan nodded.

"So the screaming guy is Little John," Stark grinned. "I always thought he was a big guy." Stark looked at Banner. "No offense."

"None taken."

"I'm not Little John!" the shorter man cried out in indignation, disentangling himself from Robin Hood and standing at his full (but still somewhat miniscule) height. "I am Much!"

"Mulch?" Stark laughed. "I like it."

"_Much_!" the shorter man shouted, stomping his foot.

"My apologies," Stark said with a mocking bow. "Much obliged."

Much's face turned a bright red, and nearly everyone else at the table (save Haymitch and Katniss) had to suppress a chuckle. "Very funny. I haven't heard _that_ one before."

"Seriously, though," said Rogers with a frown. "Your name really is Much?"

Much, looking as though he was ready to burst with frustration, nodded, and Robin Hood smiled and laughed a bit. "Ever since I've known him."

"That is a strange name," the god-like man commented with a thoughtful head nod.

"Well, what's yours?" Much asked, still quite piqued.

"I am Thor Odinson of Asgard."

Much snorted. "And you think my name is funny!"

Had he been thinking clearly, Much would have noticed the sizable hammer in the well-muscled man's hand and not insulted him, but he was too indignant to notice anything of the sort at the moment.

"Gentlemen, please," Susan said, a bit exasperatedly. "This poor fellow clearly is aware of the unique nature of his name, and I would very much appreciate knowing all of yours." She stood and gestured to those gathered. "Please sit and eat if you haven't eaten already. I am Queen Susan of Narnia."

The Avengers and Much sat at the table around the others and began munching on a variety of fruit, sweet pastries, and crispy, thick bacon while sipping cool, creamy milk or refreshing spring water. Each person in turn introduced themselves to the group gathered, with Susan introducing Haymitch (who was, naturally, entirely oblivious as to what was going on). Merida had returned in time to give her name as well, and though her eyes were still a bit red, she was ready to face people once more.

Hawkeye was about to explain the nature of the contest to his companions when the sound of soft footsteps caused everyone (Haymitch excepted—he was squeezing water from his still drenched hair into a chalice, muttering about how it would be dandy if he could change it into a nice shot of brandy) to turn and face the archway that stood as the entrance to the balcony. It was Master Elrond, sweeping toward them with his long gray robes that were so well cut they were just centimeters from brushing the stony floor. He stopped regally just past the archway and looked about at the contestants and their companions, gesturing for them to remain seated. He could have easily been a king, thought Susan, prepared to address his subjects.

Instead, assuming a slightly annoyed look, the elf asked, "Have any of you seen the boy Merlin?"

"Good mornin' to you too, sweetheart," slurred Haymitch, raising his head high enough to see Elrond. Katniss crossed her arms, letting out a string of curses with an impossibly blank expression on her face.

"You in charge?" asked Stark, matching Elrond's eyebrow lift for one of his own. "Because if you're in charge, would you mind telling me and my friends what the h—l we're doing here? I mean, it's been a great distraction, but I do have a curfew." (He winked at Susan.)

"Like I was trying to tell you," Hawkeye began with a sigh, "It's some crazy competition. It's some loony contest or somethin' for some loony people who actually care about finding which of us is the best archer."

"At least part of that made sense," attested Natasha, looking at the elf's robes in amusement. "Well. It looks like Thor has finally found a place where he can fit in."

"Shakespeare in the park?" Stark remarked, smirking a little. Rogers rolled his eyes.

A door slammed open somewhere nearby and a few seconds later a tall young man as thin as a bean-pole came stumbling from the side garden onto the balcony, almost tripping down the single stair encircling the dining area.

"Whatever Gaius tells you," he gasped, quite out of breath, "I was not in the tavern!"

Haymitch looked up from mumbling into his chalice once more (presumably at the mention of a tavern).

"Ah, Merlin," Elrond said, more pleased than disapproving for once, it seemed. "I was just preparing to tell these worthy contestants about the second challenge."

"Oh—right!" the young man (Merlin) exclaimed. "Well. I finished putting it all together. They can start whenever they like."

"Thank you," said the elf. Then he glanced at Bruce Banner thoughtfully and added (still speaking to Merlin), "Would you be so good as to take a message to Master Beorn? I have something I should like to discuss with him further."

"I have something I'd like to discuss with you," said Banner, clenching his fists and stepping forward. "What do you think you're doing, picking up a bunch of people from their lives and dropping them in a place like this? It makes me want to…" he looked down at his hands and frowned. "Well. That's different for a change…"

"Ah, yes," said Merlin suddenly. "I put a spell over this place to reduce any magic or special powers anybody has as Lord Elrond requested. For safety and fairness in the challenges, of course."

"Wait," Stark said. "You mean he can't turn into a lean, green fighting machine?"

"That might be a good thing," said Captain Rogers thoughtfully. "Wait. Thor, doesn't your hammer have magic?"

"Not in your sense of the word," the god replied, hefting the bulky object briefly. "The power of weapons from Asgard is not affected by this place."

"Regardless, take the message to Master Beorn," Elrond said to Merlin, conscious of the suspicious looks he was getting now from the Avengers. Merlin left to take the message, gazing regretfully at the large piles of pastries on the table. Susan wondered if he had yet eaten that morning—(_The poor thing, _she thought, thinking of her own hungry brothers.)

"Now, contestants," Elrond continued, "please be so good as to follow me to the arena. Your companions may reside in the balcony above—it will be a good place to observe the competition. The maidens will compete first—Queen Susan, Princess Merida, and Mistress Everdeen."

"Yes," muttered a glowering Katniss under her breath. "But what sort of stupid tricks are we going to have to do _this_ time?"

* * *

Join us next time to get an answer to Mistress Everdeen's quite relevant question, when next week we get the next chapter which follows the words

_**To be continued...**_


	5. The Second Challenge, Part 1

**Disclaimer: ****None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. ****All of them.**

**A/N:** Merry Christmas, everyone! Whilst Winter Break hast allowed a Certain Writer much more free time than normal, it has also caused a nasty wave of laziness and procrastination to fall upon said Writer. Twas most fortunate, indeed, that the valiant Waves had already written oodles more than said Writer (which of us is really the sidekick, I wonder?), and thus is responsible in full for this lovely chapter (and really, the one before it).

Meh. Nobody reads these silly author's notes anyway. But I still must declare to the winds, **WAVES, YOU ARE MY HERO!** :D

**Anonymous Reviewer "Guest"**: You are quite right. Legolas would never actually consider harming the Hobbits, and as an elf, I think you may also be right about his taking Eru's name in vain. However, in Narnia they often swear by the Lion's mane, and I suppose Waves and I simply extended this to Middle Earth characters as well. Thank you for your critique.

Enjoy. And Merry Christmas!

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Second Challenge, Part 1**

The entire company of contestants and companions trailed after the elven lord to the arena (some more steadily than others. Susan assisted the drunken Haymitch while Katniss ignored him altogether.) The trip was a rather long one, for the arena lay far below in the valley from where they had dined in the balcony overlooking the entire area. Elrond refused to answer any further questions until they had arrived, and, to be quite honest, the company was quite engrossed in the ethereal sites of the elven city and the enchanting valley tucked among the many rock faces of the vale. At last they arrived and noticed three things: there were four horses bridled and saddled (one of them was Angus and another Bree) with the red dwarf standing nearby; the boy named Merlin was by the horses (panting heavily); and a beautiful, dark-haired woman with pointed ears sat in the center of the balcony.

"What sorts of feats shall we have to perform in this competition?" Susan asked the elf as she helped Haymitch to sit (or rather slump) on the stone steps of the balcony.

"This will be a test of your skills in both riding and shooting. We have already established your prowess as true marksmen; however, the challenge now will test you as an archer who must think of more than simply shooting at a stationary target. The competition will consist of different targets of various sizes, and thus point values, at which you will be shooting while riding around the arena thrice," Elrond replied. "You will have different colored arrows to delineate your mark."

Katniss inhaled sharply. (She hadn't heard much past the riding bit.) "I can't—I mean, I've never ridden a horse before!"

"Fear not, Mistress Everdeen," Elrond replied. "Queen Susan's companion Bree, the Talking Horse, has consented to teach you and Master Hawkeye to ride, and to assist you with this challenge."

"See?" Haymitch said incoherently, grinning at Katniss widely. "I tol' you it'ss okay. Horses are nice."

**0o0o0o0o**

The arena below was surrounded by a small stone barrier high enough to separate the track from the sidelines but low enough that a person could vault over easily enough in the event of an emergency. Elrond led the three ladies to four horses, which had been saddled and bridled accordingly. Merida sprang forward to wrap her arms around stocky Angus' large neck, burying her face in his thick mane. She was obviously pleased to be given her own horse for this challenge, for she looked not a bit troubled at the thought of shooting at targets while moving.

For Susan there was the tall, well-mannered steed King Aragorn had brought with him into the city. Brego was named (Elrond had told her) after a king of a country called Rohan, where the tamers of horses lived. It was also where the king had found his horse—the one he rode whenever Roheryn, his other steed, was in need of a rest. Brego lowered his nose to greet the queen as she approached, and she could see from the intelligent gleam in his eyes that he would be a worthy steed even if he could not talk like the intelligent horses of Narnia (besides—Talking Horses were not often ridden in her country. Bree must have offered to help because he pitied Katniss). She fondled Brego's soft nose, murmuring words of sweet admiration.

Both Merida and Susan mounted their horses smoothly, adjusting to the feel of the saddle and shifting their skirts to more comfortable and concealing positions. Katniss just stopped and stared blankly as she looked the horse called Bree up and down. She felt herself shrinking before the large animal.

"How am I even supposed to get on?" she asked. "I've never ridden a horse before."

"More's the pity," Bree answered, shaking his head (Katniss knew he could talk, but her eyebrows shot up nonetheless). "Not to worry, my dear young lady. I once taught a young boy to ride, and he turned out alright in the end despite all the tumbles. If you simply put your foot in the stirrup there and swing your other leg over—it really isn't too difficult."

Katniss eyed the kindly horse suspiciously, glancing over her shoulder at the other contestants and companions. Haymitch waved at her and gave a shaky thumbs up. Rolling her eyes, Katniss reached gamely for the horn of the saddle while trying to get her foot in the stirrup.

"That's it," Bree encouraged, trying to remain as still as possible as he twisted his head around to watch her progress. "No, no, no, you poor little beast! If you put that foot in the stirrup, you'll end up facing backwards. Don't bare your teeth like that and curse at me. I'm just trying to help you. Now try it again, there's a good lass."

After a brief fiasco (during which Katniss continued swearing under her breath while getting tangled in the tack at least once before at last getting it right), they were finally all in the saddle and ready to compete. A few of the companions in the viewing balcony cheered when Katniss finally managed to mount Bree, and she would have given them a scathing remark if she hadn't been so focused on trying not to fall off. The ground looked much harder and less forgiving from this height.

"Just squeeze your knees," Bree advised, "and if you feel as if you are going to fall, squeeze tighter, and don't hang onto my mane. I'll worry about the steering, you worry about the competition. And please don't accidentally shoot me, there's a talented lass. I would prefer to see my Narnia again one day."

"I just feel so high off the ground," Katniss said through clenched teeth, taking her bow from Merlin who couldn't help grinning at her like a loon.

"Don't worry," Merlin encouraged. "I'm sure you'll do fine with Bree. He seems like a very nice horse."

"Why thank you, dear boy," Bree said, whinnying a bit conceitedly while Merlin scurried off.

Katniss just stared at the boy, her eyes wide as she surveyed the arena. One hand was clenched tightly around her bow, the other still clutching the saddle horn. Squeezing her legs a little tighter, she felt for an arrow and fingered the tip with a dark expression toward Master Elrond. But then she sighed and nocked it onto her bowstring and tried to get used to the feeling of sitting atop a moving beast. It was time for some fancy shooting.

**0o0o0o**

While the three competing women had gone to the arena to saddle-up, the rest of the company had seated themselves in the viewing balcony, more or less clustered next to those they knew. Elrond had gone down to the arena to attend to a few final details. The Avengers had chosen to sit farther up and in the center of the balcony behind the dark haired woman while the others leaned against the railing. Haymitch had wandered over to a small patch of shade, laying down and occasionally glancing at the happenings of the arena with random gestures included.

Most everyone perused the arena with its various targets, obstacles, and routes; however, the eyes of Robin Hood only lingered on Queen Susan. He had discontinued the conversation with Much when they had decided on a place from which to observe the competition and was watching Susan longingly as she mounted her horse as gently as a dove alighting on a slender tree branch.

"I think this whole thing is completely absurd," Much continued ranting, having been on the topic of the reason (or lack thereof) for this competition since Robin had explained the situation on the way down. "I don't understand why they had to bring you back from the dead just for this (not that I'm unhappy about seeing you again, that is), and- Robin? Robin? Why is he looking at her like that? No—," Much paused, glancing from Robin to Susan then back to Robin again. "Wait, yes he is looking at her like that! But that's…no, it's not Marian!"

"No," said Robin dreamily. "She's not Marian, Much. She is a noble and kindly lady—a queen, in fact."

"Robin," Much said, his voice sounding serious. "Are you out of your mind?"

"No," came the dreamy response. "I'm out of death. Much, don't you see how beautiful and gentle and noble she is?"

"What?!" Much grabbed Robin Hood's shoulders, swinging him around to face the twitterpated man. "Robin, you love Marian and only Marian! You died going after Gisborne and the Sheriff in revenge over her."

Robin managed to shake himself free of his friend's grip, turning back to face the arena and the woman he appeared to have fallen madly in love with. "I do love Marian, Much, or at least I did, but ever since I've been here, I can't remember her face anymore, or her voice, or even what she smelled like. A part of me is missing, and Marian isn't here to fill that, but Susan…Ah, Susan is. She's so beautiful, Much. I can't stop thinking about her."

The smaller man took a few steps away from his best friend, bewildered by his change of affections. His head told him to leave this new man be, but his heart bade him stay and support his friend. "I do hope you get your head on straight before you go back, Robin."

"It's never been straighter."

Much opened his mouth to reply, but a loud exclamation from the Avengers gave him pause.

"You're a regular Lucas Sister!" Stark yelled, eliciting a cursed reply as Katniss' foot slipped from the stirrup once more.

"Give it a rest, Stark," Natasha warned, glaring at the childish man.

"Aw, come on," Stark drawled. "You gotta admit this is entertaining."

"Seeing a young woman struggle to mount a horse is not funny," Captain Rogers admonished.

"I am not so sure about that," Thor chuckled. "You would think she was trying to ride bilgesnipe instead of a harmless horse."

"A what?" Rogers asked.

"Bilgesnipe. They're-"

"Big nasty creatures we don't care about because we've never seen 'em," Stark interrupted with a wave of his hand.

"Banner, thoughts?" Rogers glanced up at the quiet doctor seated behind him.

"About the bilgesnipe or the young woman who has finally managed to mount the dappled grey horse?"

Stark and Thor looked over at the arena and cheered loudly along with Gimli while the remaining individuals in the balcony remained politely quiet.

"Looks like the competition is about to begin," Stark said eagerly. "Hmm… I could use a bucket of popcorn right about now."

"Oh yeah," Natasha muttered. "I think I saw a concession stand over there."

"Who needs a concession stand when there's a valet? Hey, kid!" Stark yelled down at Merlin.

"His name is Merlin," Hawkeye corrected.

"Whatever. Garçon!" Merlin turned from giving Katniss her bow to face the balcony. He said something more before jogging over to balcony, beckoned by Stark. "Yeah, can we get some food and drinks here? I'm a bit peckish."

"Of course," Merlin chimed back with a mock bow and wry grin. "I live to serve." He whirled around to fetch the requested articles.

"Merlin!" Master Elrond called, stopping the young man in mid-tracks. "Where are you going?"

"They want refreshments," Merlin replied, gesturing to the crowd.

Elrond frowned. "Where is the horn?"

"I'm sorry, the what?"

Folding his arms across his chest, Elrond glared severely at Merlin. "The horn Boromir left you that is to be winded to commence the second challenge."

"Ah. That horn," Merlin said, nodding his head. "Um…I left it in the medical courtyard."

"Then I suggest you retrieve it," Elrond ground out, "before I decide to make you a target."

Merlin quickly ran off, flustered at all that was going on and almost wishing he were back in Camelot serving Arthur, instead of performing the myriad of tasks left for him to do here. No matter what world he was in, it seemed everyone wanted him to do everything all at once.

Elrond mounted the balcony and addressed the others. "I apologize for the delay of the competition," he began, for which many groans and protests rang out. "I entreat you to be patient as I hope the delay will not be long. I suggest the current competitors take this time to become more comfortable with their mounts. I must attend to another matter, and if you should require anything, Arwen Undómiel, will be able to answer in my stead." Elrond then addressed the woman beside him in a softer tone. "I will not be long." The woman nodded solemnly.

Several minutes passed, allowing Katniss to get a few more pointers from Bree. She was still highly uncomfortable with this new challenge but ready for it to be over. The Avengers began to get restless, the dwarves muttered more than spoke, and the two Elves keenly watched for Elrond's return. The company of so many annoying humans was beginning to wear on them.

"Excuse, me," Bruce Banner said to Arwen. She looked up at him with her deep blue eyes and nodded in acknowledgement. "Hi, um…Sorry to bother you." He paused, coming around to lean on the railing to get a better look at her.

"You have a question to ask of me?" Her voice was deeper and softer than he had expected, laden with the wisdom of the ages.

"Ah, yeah," Banner stammered a bit. "Um…I'm sorry. Have we met?"

"Not in this world."

"But in another?"

"I have never traveled to any world other than my own," she said, her gaze piercing into him. "But that is not the question you came to ask."

"No, no…I…um… My companions wanted to know if you knew when this party is going to get started." Banner looked down at his feet, a little embarrassed for a reason he could not place. He had only felt this giddy about one woman before, and this woman, while extraordinarily beautiful, was not the one he had thought she was. At least, not exactly the same.

"The competition will begin presently," the voice of Elrond answered. He came striding up the balcony, Merlin trailing behind with a basket of food, a few flasks of wine and ale, and a sack full of goblets and plates. He was breathing heavily.

"Competitors and companions," announced Elrond. "The second challenge will begin as soon as our first three competitors are positioned at the line. Merlin will sound the horn once you are ready. May the speed of your steed be great and your aim be true."

After laying aside the food and drink (everyone eagerly snatched up something to munch on and something to moisten their throats), Merlin took out Queen Susan's horn, licking his lips a bit. After getting a nod from Master Elrond, Merlin took a deep breath and winded the clear-sounding horn.

The competition had begun.

Natasha watched with hooded eyes, scanning her entire field of view instead of focusing on one particular person or area. Queen Susan had gotten off to a good start, her arrows thudding into the targets more or less in the inner circles. She seemed to be holding back though, timid in her approach and careful with her aim. After each target, Susan would glance over her shoulder at Katniss who was none too pleased with her current situation. To her credit, the solemn girl had managed to hit most of the targets thus far, but the arrows had yet to reach the inside of even the outer rings. She looked more like a sack of potatoes on top of a horse than a rider in an archery competition. Natahsa could hear the horse, Bree, telling Katniss something, but the words were too faint to make them out.

A flash of red zoomed in front of the spectators, from whom shouts of surprise and encouragement rang out. Merida had taken to this challenge like a sniper to an abandoned building across from a ripe target. As soon as the horn had been winded, she and her horse, Angus, had shot off as if they themselves were an arrow from a bow. Her first shot hat gone wide and barely caught the edge of the target, but her confidence had not been swayed. She hit every target spot on after that, picking up speed as she went.

Amidst all the excitement of the competition, Natasha noticed something rather odd. After Katniss, who was trailing after the others, shot at a target and had passed it by, all of the arrows (each one color-coded for their respective owners) disappeared. Natasha looked down to see then reappear in their proper piles by the boy Merlin. He was clearly muttering something and occasionally the irises of his eyes would flash gold. Hawkeye had mentioned the talking horse but not this kid and his glowing eyes. It looked like...like…magic.

Natasha gave up trying to understand. This world was full of strange things, too many strange things to worry about. Best to sit back and enjoy the ride.

"Keep it up, Ariel!" Stark hollered as Merida flew by for the third time, the final round of the second challenge.

"You're rooting for a red-head now?" Natasha asked, pretending disbelief.

"Hey," Stark replied, sounding a bit injured. "The only reason I swore off gingers was because the last one I hired turned out to be a spy."

"Personally," Thor said with a grin, "I think the brunette who can't ride is rather attractive. And she has the true spirit of a competitor." He took a pull at his mug of ale, the foam clinging to his beard.

"Wow," Stark commented, still in an injured tone, jerking his head pointedly at Natasha. "And you think _I_ move fast? Ah well. Not even Thor defines his relationship as 'he tried to kill us all because some evil brother made him go nuts, so I clocked him on the head to change him back.'"

"I don't think they have a Facebook status for that," Natasha countered, mentally rolling her eyes at the reference to the current situation in her relationship with Hawkeye.

"What is this 'Facebook' you guys keep mentioning?" Captain Rogers asked in mild frustration. He always felt rather left out when they started talking about things that were beyond his understanding. While growing up during World War II had its merits, understanding dialogue between 21st century people was a little over his head.

"Oh look, the race is almost over," Banner pointed out, forestalling further argument or comments.

As it had been for the entire race, Merida was firmly in the lead with Queen Susan next and Katniss trailing grimly behind. Natasha liked the spirit of the red-head, who released a wild, triumphant yell as she crossed the finish line. Queen Susan finished with much less flair, reining in her horse gently and patting his sweat flecked neck affectionately. Once Katniss and Bree had galloped past the line, the young brunette could not get off the horse fast enough, practically falling on the ground in her haste. Natasha could not help admiring her gumption though. The kid clearly could handle anything thrown at her.

The loud shouts of the spectators prompted Natasha to applaud politely. The yell of encouragement from Robin Hood to Susan was especially loud, but he seemed to be past any embarrassment. She looked over at Hawkeye, who was seated next to her, and slipped her hand into one of his. "I suppose you've ridden a horse before."

"I prefer stationary perches."

"Right," the short, red-haired woman said with a nod of disbelief. "It's just like riding a bike."

Stark dangled an empty grape vine over the pair. "You two love birds gonna smooch now?"

"Right, because we do everything for your entertainment," Natasha said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and her expression radiating barely restrained violence.

"Competitors," Elrond announced, standing once more to address the crowd. "The women have proven their skill, and now it is time for the men to do so. Hawkeye, Robin Hood, and Legolas, please make your way to the horses."

"But how'd they do?" Hawkeye asked, crossing his arms and looking at Merlin (Elrond had turned to speak to the elf woman). When Merlin just grinned nervously, the Avenger frowned. "You mean you aren't gonna tell us? How are you judging this thing, anyway? Speed? Accuracy?"

"Well, it has to do with hitting a certain number of targets, so I'd aim for that—pardon the pun—and plan on working pretty hard at it because Princess Merida did far better than anyone I've ever seen compete in this sort of competition before," Merlin replied, all in one breath.

"Swell," Hawkeye muttered under his breath as he snatched his bow off the table and made for the stairs behind Robin Hood and Legolas. Not for the first time, he was having second thoughts about cooperating in this peculiar competition. Ah, well. It wasn't as if he was going to let some red-headed brat beat him at his own game. He would never hear the end of it.

He was just getting his confidence back to its usual position when suddenly he remembered the horses. And cursed, before adding (to the other competitors bemusement), "Just swell."

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	6. The Second Challenge, Part 2

**Disclaimer: None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. All of them.**

**A/N from Waves**: Praise to King Caspian the Seafarer for pulling through the writer's block and writing virtually the entirety of this section! I'm happy to help the Seafarer along in this amusing journey.

**To Iole17**: Not to fear! The thoughts of the contestants will be focused on heavily in the coming sections. Comedy before drama.

**A/N from KC**: I hate writer's block. I really do. Except it kind of was staved off for a while after the Finale of Merlin...anyone else watch that? Anyway, enjoy the rest of this Second Challenge. This whole section has been what you call "the middle", kind of. The third challenge is going to be another story altogether. Mwhahahaha...

Thank youthankyouthank you to everyone who keeps leaving such lovely, wonderful, kind, exciting reviews! You make my day /every time/. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 6: The Second Challenge, Part 2

Stark slapped Hawkeye across the back loudly. "Go get 'em, Tiger! You'll beat the little red-head no problem." A short exclamation followed this remark, which was probably, Hawkeye reflected, Natasha jabbing the man in the ribs with her very sharp elbow. Ah well. He deserved it.

"Good luck," Cap. Rogers said earnestly, shaking Hawkeye's hand.

"May your arrows fly true!" Thor said, raising his mug in a salute.

Banner gave him a head nod, and Natasha just smiled. "Try not to fall off."

"Odds go best with ale!" Haymitch slurred loudly.

Hawkeye took one last mouthful of water, grimacing at the warmth of the liquid. The morning's sun had warmed it to a rather unpleasant temperature. The wavering reflection caught his eye as he set the vibrant blue mug down, and for a second he did not recognize the face—but that was silly. It was nerves—just nerves.

Farther down on the balcony, Much was wishing Robin Hood the best of luck, fussing over the man a bit.

"I'll be fine, Much!" Robin insisted, vaulting off the balcony. He turned and gave his friend a jaunty salute with his bow and flashed his best roguish grin.

"Go show 'em how it's done, my fine prince Elllfling," Gimli encouraged Legolas, slapping the Elf none too gently on the arm.

"Your support is most heartening," Legolas replied as he too vaulted over the balcony and onto the ground around the track.

He made his way to Merlin rather than the horses though. "Merlin!"

The young man looked up from the piles of colored arrows, appearing guilty for some reason. Legolas paused, searching the area for some mishap but finding none.

"Yes?" Merlin asked impatiently as if he really was covering some guilt. "I haven't got all day."

"Of course," Legolas replied swiftly. "I noticed you have the horn today,"

"Yes?"

"Where is Captain Boromir?"

"Ah," Merlin began, scratching his chin while he spoke. "I seem to remember him going off with someone named Aragorn to a Ranger's Gathering somewhere nearby."

"Why would he go there?" Legolas had assumed Arwen had traveled her alone with Brego, since Aragorn had duties as the King.

Merlin gave the Elf a look of annoyed bafflement. "Why does everyone here assume I know everything? Gah! How am I supposed to know everything when you people send me running around this place just as soon as you please?!"

"I apologize if I have offended you," Legolas said quickly.

"Legolas," Elrond's voice rang out. "What is the cause for delay?"

"Apologies, Master Elrond, but I was wondering why Captain Boromir would attend the Ranger's Gathering. I intended to converse with him today, but he appears to be absent."

"When Aragorn arrived this morning, he offered for Boromir to accompany him. Apparently one of the skills taught there is how to dodge arrows."

"Why were none of their members invited to this competition?"

"This is a rather exclusive group, Legolas," Elrond eyed the younger elf sternly. "If you are quite done?"

"Apologies, again, Master Elrond," Legolas said with a hasty bow before dashing off to mount Arod, free of saddle or bridle in the traditional Elven way.

* * *

As the competitors made their way to the arena, the red dwarf (whose name happened to be Trumpkin) edged closer to the only other person in this country who was anywhere near his own height (save for the red-haired lass).

"That blond fellow," he began, stroking his fox-red beard thoughtfully. "He's got a nice bow, 'asn't he?"

"What?" the other dwarf replied with a laugh. "The elf? Aye, I guess he has. But no bow is worth even a fraction of a good dwarfish-made axe. Like this one." He hefted the one beside his chair deftly. Trumpkin eyed the weapon distastefully. Even the craftsmanship did not appeal to him.

"An axe? It takes no great skill to wield an axe—tha's more for Giants and young Centaurs, who haven't got any patience to learn to shoot a bow. Come now—have you ever tried?"

"Tried what, shootin' one o' those things?" the dark-haired dwarf snorted. "Rather be caught dead."

Then followed a polite but somewhat tense conversation in which the red-haired dwarf said a few things about the amount of skill required to handle an axe (or the lack thereof, rather) and compared certain Axe-wielding people to Giants (who, where he came from, were known for their infinitesimal mental capacities—however, this reference was lost on the other dwarf), and the dark-haired dwarf said a lot of unrepeatable things concerning bow-wielders (he had to watch his words, being located in the last Homely House of said bow-wielders). In fact, he had only heard of one dwarf to wield a bow, and he had been rather young at the time, but the fox-haired dwarf would never know that.

In the end it almost came to blows, and a good deal of hostility between two worlds' worth of competitors and companions was saved by the quick intellect and diplomatic expertise of a certain young warlock, who brought more ale and mead and steered the conversation toward bashing sword-wielders who tended to be the same no matter what world they were in. Needless to say, his subtle deed went unnoticed and unappreciated. (Actually, Elrond did notice, but had decided it unimportant at the time, and by the time he had remembered the event again, Merlin had just done something else to irritate him, so in the end the noble deed was quite forgotten.)

Otherwise around the arena stands, Thor had joined Haymitch in tasting all the alcoholic beverages Rivendell had to offer, and was complaining about things such as, 'My girlfriend gets sent to a remote lab every time I come to Earth,' something to which Haymitch sighed and replied, "Tell me about it," for no apparent reason.

Much and the other Avengers, meanwhile, all stood as the three ladies returned to the pavilion. Merida's eyes were fiercely bright—for the first time, she looked less like a sulky child and more like a rational human being. Queen Susan had not one hair out of place. As she swept gracefully up the stairs, Much caught his breath and suddenly understood better why Robin's lips had curved into that dreamy smile. She did look a little like Marian—and yet, was almost more graceful and quiet-looking than even she. She noticed his stare after a moment, and Much looked away in embarrassment. Then Susan turned back, putting a hand out behind her to help…Katniss.

If any of them had thought the dark-haired girl to be unhappy-looking before, everyone could see that she was clearly miserable now. She walked with a limp, but her shoulders were thrown back, her head was held high, and her eyes gleamed with a light that dared anyone to say anything about the events which had just transpired below. Even unarmed she was dangerous.

"Tha's my girl," exclaimed Haymitch, grinning at her. Then he caught sight of her face, checked himself, and began to frown. "You need a drink. Si' down."

Katniss looked at him as if she was very seriously considering dumping another cup of water over his head, but after a moment she sighed and sank down next to him. And shivered. Susan frowned as she noticed the blank expression in the girl's eyes. There must be something deeper going on here—why else would she be so shaken by a not-so efficacious effort at shooting targets from horseback. It wasn't as though she was being condemned to die for her poor performance. It was just a game.

"My lady," said Thor, setting down his cup and looking at her intently. "You did well for one unfamiliar with horse-kind. Strewth, the contest was most unkind to you."

He grinned, and the lightness in his smile seemed to scatter a little of the unhappiness from Katniss' face. Then the girl blushed and looked down.

Merida, at a loss for what to do now that she was back among people (minus her horse, who was to remain at the stables), looked around for a good place to sit. She noticed the tall red-haired woman eyeing her with a smile.

"You're pretty good with that bow of yours," the woman said quietly. She held out her hand and added, "I'm Natasha, by the way."

"Merida," the Scottish princess replied, smiling shyly. She liked the look of the woman (and it might've been partially due to her hair color).

They began talking about the competition, where and when Merida had learned to shoot so accurately from the back of a horse, and about Angus. While Natasha knew nothing about horses and nothing (except what Hawkeye had told her) about bows and arrows, she could tell that the fiery princess was relieved to have someone to talk to for a change. When they began discussing archery, the red-haired dwarf began edging closer to their group (he'd given up trying to talk to Gimli, who still held that bows were for those who couldn't handle axes). Eventually he joined in, a little shyly at first, but they were soon discussing bows and combat quite passionately. It was still a fairly novel experience for Merida to talk with those who seemed to understand her. While her mother had recently come around, she still tended to talk more about duties to home and country and less about archery.

"Well," said Stark dryly, glancing at the three with a mischievous smile beginning in his eyes. "I think we've just witnessed the beginning of the Marvelous Society of Gingers." (MSG for short). "Tune in next time to learn their secret handshake, hair styling products, and world famous recipe for ginger snaps." Natahsa rolled her eyes, Merida stared at Stark with a confused expression, and Trumpkin muttered something about bears and butter.

"No wonder Natasha was cheering her on," Banner mused, smiling a little.

"Does…does he know how to ride a horse?" Cap Rogers asked, squinting at the three men down in the ring (but indicating, of course, the worthy Hawkeye, who was staring at the three horses about as excitedly as had Katniss, but with more control of his facial expressions).

"Oh, this'll be good," exclaimed Stark, rubbing his hands together. "Hey, Thor! Bring your new girlfriend over here and show her she's not the only one who doesn't know what to do with a horse."

Katniss started to snarl something derogatory about Stark's grandparents, but Thor, who had been chatting quiet charmingly with her for the past few minutes, simply laughed. Haymitch laughed too, and then yelled for Merlin to bring more wine/ale/whatever-it-is-they-serve-here.

Captain Rogers leaned forward in his chair, staring down at the arena with a furrowed brow. "They're giving the white horse to the elf, the brown horse—the one the queen was riding—to Robin Hood, and the horse that talks to Hawkeye. He's shaking his head."

"We're not blind, Uncle Sam," Stark remarked, rolling his eyes.

"Quiet!" Banner hissed. He, too, was leaning forward, grinning as he watched Hawkeye trying to mount Bree (and succeeding after the first try), the horse flattening his ears and apparently saying something to the man on its back. They could hear Hawkeye's reply, but only because it was in the form of shouts and none of them were intelligible enough to understand.

"What's he saying?" asked Natasha, pausing from the animated conversation that was taking place in the MSG to see what was taking place below.

"Oh," said the young Merlin with a secretive type of grin, (he was setting down three more jugs of mead), "Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Believe me, I wanna know," said Stark, who was echoed a half-second later by the rest of the Avengers, Katniss, and Haymitch (whose echo was two full seconds later).

Merlin hesitated for a second, then grinned and muttered something under his breath. His eyes flashed gold, and suddenly they could all hear Hawkeye's voice as clearly as if he'd been standing just outside the edge of the balcony. Merlin had been right—he was not, by any means, saying anything pleasant. It was mostly cursing (Susan's eyes shot up) and complaints that yes he had ridden a horse before, but it had been a normal horse who didn't prance around like a show pony or talk back.

Katniss muttered in agreement with him. "Those elf-people. They don't know what they're doing. That horse is crazier even than…than _him_," she snapped, gesturing at Haymitch.

"At least he can talk," Banner suggested.

"Talk?" Katniss replied, moaning a little and drawing her knees up to her chest. "That's the problem with him! He won't shut up!"

* * *

"Confound it, horse, if you don't shut your mouth and quit telling me what to do, I'll kick you so hard your mother'll feel it."

"I have a name, _good sir_!" Bree protested. "And I have even shortened it so that people like you can say it with little difficulty."

"Listen well, _horse_," Hawkeye shot back. "I do have an idea of what I'm doing, so let me steer, and I might not kick you."

Bree neighed in annoyance. "Continue calling me 'horse,' and I will resort to calling you human, by the Lion's Mane!"

That, gentle reader, is a much abridged and adjusted (for the sake of the eyes of younger readers whose mothers or older siblings might, like Susan in the case of Merida, protest the use of such strong language in such a tale as this) version of the sort of thing Hawkeye was shouting to the Narnian horse all the while Bree's ears were flattened against his skull in anger.

While Katniss had been a troublesome rider, her curses had been rooted in fear. This man was simply irritated, and that annoyed Bree, who simply refused to think this man had any notion of how to ride properly.

While Hawkeye was fighting Bree, Robin Hood fed Brego a sugar cube he'd palmed from the table (the horse snorted at him, but did not object to his presence) and mounted him easily. He'd ridden horses before, and was also quite experienced at shooting arrows from the backs of horses. As had Legolas, who leapt atop Arod as easily as you please.

Merlin hadn't time to make it to where they stood on the other side of the arena, so he stood on a high point of the balcony to blow the horn once the competitors were ready. At the high, clear sound, all three horses leapt forward. They were to ride three times around the arena (going counter-clockwise) and hit as many targets as they could, just as the ladies had done.

Bree jerked to the left as the horn blew and began taking the same route on which he'd taken Katniss. Except Hawkeye did not want him to go that way. Of course, it was the right way to go, but he'd be darned if he let a horse take him anywhere he didn't choose to go himself.

Thus begin the struggle for control between the man and the horse upon which he was riding. It lasted the entirety of the match, and caused all of the problems that took place therein. The blame can comfortably rest with both of them, for Hawkeye refused to be ordered around by a horse, and Bree had forgotten how to let a human (even one who was no master at riding) steer him because of his many years as a free Narnian horse.

Swallowing more curses as he lurched along, Hawkeye wondered whether quantity or quality of shots was more important because he didn't feel very steady at the moment.

This mattered very little to Robin. As he fired his first shot (a bull's-eye, of course), he admired Brego's smooth canter and the ease of the horse's gait. Again and again he drew back the bowstring and let the red-fletched arrows snap free. Their flight from his fingers brought back memories (the memories were slow in coming). Memories of green cloaks and flights through the forest, and a tall man with a dark gaze who was often took the role of villain. When simply shooting the targets grew dull, Robin imagined the sheriff's face in their place (and still sometimes Guy's face, even though he had mostly made his peace with the man). It was…amusing.

He was on the last round when he suddenly remembered there were people watching. He swiveled in the saddle and sought sight, not of Much, who was waiting anxiously in the balcony and cheering on his leader, but of the tall, graceful, dark-haired queen named Susan. When he saw that she was watching him, a great, delighted smile burst forth upon his face, and he did not turn to shoot at the last target until it was already behind him, and even his superior marksmanship was not enough to overcome the change of perspective. His shot went wide and hit only the edge of his target.

He was embarrassed, of course, but his mistake was nothing compared with what was taking place between the other competitors. Moreover, his embarrassment was soon overcome with pride that Queen Susan had been watching _him_!

Legolas had been content to ride a few paces behind the energetic Robin. Arod was fleet of foot, but the elf was in no hurry. His gray feather-fletched arrows sped to their targets in a leisurely fashion. To be quite honest, he felt rather as though these contests were a bit foolhardy, as well as most unfair. He whispered a few Elvish words to Arod and turned back to glance at Hawkeye—a quick glance, for he could not afford to miss any targets. The man's teeth were gritted as he swayed back and forth in the saddle, knees clamped and knuckles dragging the reins one way or the other with an arrow clutched between fingers. Bree's ears were still pointed backward. He bared his teeth and chomped at the bit, resisting with all of his powerful muscles.

Legolas dropped back a little more, intending to offer some advice. Hawkeye just snarled something at him and kicked Bree harder so that the Talking Horse lurched ahead of Arod and Legolas. With a sigh, Legolas allowed them to go ahead of him. If the man did not want his help, he would leave them alone, but he decided it might be better for his health if he remained behind the lurching bowman and his furious horse.

It was during the last lap that the situation escalated to a dangerous level. Hawkeye was half mad with fury. He had managed to do slightly better than Katniss, but he knew already that his performance had been ghastly at best. He was already imagining the kinds of things Stark was going to have to say about this—and Natasha! He had seen her befriending the red-haired princess and knew she would tease him as well. Swallowing his pride, he savagely wrenched at the reins, steering Bree out of willpower rather than skill. He was determined to show the horse he could control the situation.

Hawkeye fired and got nearer the center than ever before. This was because, for once, the dratted horse beneath him wasn't sidling to the side or fighting for his head. The last targets were approaching and Hawkeye was just about ready to end this when suddenly Bree shouted something about loosening up the reins. Growling something uncomplimentary, Hawkeye jerked the reins harshly, intending only to shut the thing up again. Instead, Bree balked and swerved to the right, slowing almost to a halt and rearing up on his hind legs. He had apparently had enough of this. Riding free Narnian horses was a rare privilege, and this ungrateful human deserved to be unseated.

Hawkeye grabbed at the horn of the saddle and the reins and the mane of the beast, but suddenly a white-heat flashed like a knife across his left arm, near his shoulder, and he let out a grunt of pain. He nearly jumped off the horse then and there, but instead turned, nocking an arrow, ready to face his attacker…and saw only a stricken pale-haired elf, who was reining in his horse and looking slightly horrified. Legolas had been too close to shoot another arrow to redirect the first.

Cursing, Hawkeye leapt from the saddle and landed on his feet—he was never riding a horse again. Feeling something stronger than anger take over his own arms and fingers for a fraction of a second, he aimed his bow at the elf, who also dismounted and was watching him a tad anxiously. He would not have shot him (despite the fact that an arrow from the elf's bow had just cut a rapidly bleeding gash in his left arm), but suddenly there was a shout from the balcony and his bow was torn from his hands by invisible hands. Magic.

"You shot me!" Hawkeye shouted, trying to staunch the blood-flow while glaring at the elf murderously. His head felt very fuzzy—he staggered for a moment, trying to regain his balance.

"Your horse swerved," Legolas stammered. "The arrow had already left my bow…"

"Yeah, and if your stupid elf-friend hadn't given me such a d—d bad horse—"

"GENTLEMEN!" Merlin was standing there suddenly, breathing a little hard. "The competition is over. Lord Elrond said you were to return to the pavilion. Here," he added, gesturing to Hawkeye and staring worriedly at his arm. "Come with me. Gaius has bandages."

"Give me my bow," Hawkeye demanded with a snarl. Merlin frowned, but the man's eyes showed that he no longer appreciated any aspect of this competition and was prepared to fight his way out if it was necessary.

"You have nothing to fear from us," Merlin told him, returning his bow after considering for a moment. "It was an accident, as I'm sure Master Legolas was going to tell you."

"Truly," Legolas began, "I meant no harm to you—I was impatient, and for that I am heartily sorry. I should have waited until you had cleared the target."

"Harrumph," Hawkeye replied, narrowing his eyes. The three competitors and Merlin marched back to the balcony in silence.

Upon their arrival, Natasha exclaimed over Hawkeye's wound (which was the only good thing about it) and chastened him a little about his attitude while Gimli ribbed Legolas for being careless. Gaius soon arrived and began to tend the wound, and as he wound strips of bandages around the cut, Lord Elrond said, "What are the results, Merlin?"

"Results?" Merlin, looking harried and exhausted, scratched his head. "A moment, please." He turned and began counting the tallies from the six piles of arrows. Barely a minute had passed before he turned back and said, "A tie, my lord. Master Robin and Princess Merida are tied for first, with Legolas next, then Queen Susan."

"And Katniss and I at the bottom, eh?" muttered Hawkeye, rubbing his arm with a gleam of anger in his eyes. "Some contest." He felt a bit fuzzy again. He shook his head and took a deep breath, which seemed to clear it up. The challenge had been an arduous one.

"S'okay," Haymitch said, suddenly appearing at his elbow with a pitcher of ale. "At least you weren' fightin' for your life."

But something in Hawkeye's gaze as he watched Legolas speak to Lord Elrond said that he no longer entirely agreed. After a second, he shook his head again. There was no reason to think like that. It was an accident. Hawkeye resolved to apologize to Bree and Legolas later that day.

"Contestants," Elrond said, his voice halting everyone's movement. "Tomorrow, the final challenge will begin. You will be competing in groups of three this time. The results of today have determined your fellowships. Hawkeye, Robin Hood, and Miss Everdeen will be in one group, and Legolas, Queen Susan, and Princess Merida will be in the other. I suggest you take the rest of today to rest and get better acquainted with the members of your fellowship."

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	7. Into the Forest

**Disclaimer: None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. All of them.**

**A/N:** Happy New Year to everybody! This chapter means things are, believe it or not, progressing. At last. This chapter is incredibly long but contains a great deal of humor, as well as a drinking game that is not unlike the one found in the extended ROTK...without the dancing hobbits, unfortunately. But now, at last, the third challenge is beginning.

**Note to cherebellerogue**: I wish we could accommodate your request, but unfortunately, we based the character roster off a comic featuring the current six archers. Perhaps in the future, more archer characters will be featured in film and a second Interworld Archery Competition will have to be written. (I hope not any time soon because we bit off perhaps more than we could chew with this one.) Thanks for the review!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7: Into the Forest

The sun had set a few hours before, leaving only one section of the Elven city illuminated by more than just moonlight—Merlin had seen to it that the currently inhabited section was well lit by various lanterns and candles. The companions and contestants had been relocated to a larger area with two smaller chambers and a third larger one. Elrond had underestimated the number of companions the hobbits were capable of bringing back to Middle Earth. Along with the light, Merlin had seen to it that lots of food and two large casks of ale were brought to the main area where many of the contestants and their companions were now. After delivering the foodstuffs, Merlin had quickly vanished into the night to finish the details of the third challenge. It would be a long night for him.

"So," Stark began, his face serious for once. He gazed around at the circle of faces (Thor, Gimli, Haymitch, and Much, to be precise). "The rules are simple. No dribbling, spilling, or puking. You drink until you can't drink another drop or you pass out. We good?" Everyone nodded solemnly. "Go!"

Immediately, the five individuals raised their mugs of ale and began chugging the contents with great enthusiasm. The others in the room shook their heads. No one really knew who had first mentioned the idea of a drinking game (probably Stark), but it had appealed to these five on this rather boring evening. Legolas had politely declined joining the competitors, but had agreed to oversee the affair, ensuring refills were within easy reach, tallying the mugs consumed by each individual, and watching out for any signs of cheating.

Of the others who had no desire to consume large quantities of alcohol, Merida had decided to spend the night with Angus down in the stables. Susan had joined her for a bit, using that time to also talk with Bree and Trumpkin, who had stolidly decided to stay with the horse whenever possible. Trumpkin felt rather uncomfortable with the others, and while he didn't mind Gimli, he felt more at home with a Narnian horse (even if Bree had a habit of going on) than with a bunch of strangers from other places.

Susan felt guilty for not spending time with her fellow Narnians and had jumped at the opportunity of conversing with them. Likewise, she felt rather sorry for Bree after the competition with all of the cursing from Katniss and the maltreatment from Hawkeye, even if the man had later apologized to Bree (who had naturally forgiven him as any good Narnian would).

Just before the drinking game began, Susan returned to the living area and, with the excuse of needing to rest up for the competition, decided to turn in for the night, much to the chagrin of Robin Hood. He had been vying for her attention the entire day after the competition, though she had managed to find some excuse to never be alone with the woodsman. She felt rather bad for Robin Hood, having heard the story of his death from Much (who was never short of words), but she knew Robin Hood's affections for her stemmed more out of a need to replace Marian than a true love for her. Her rebuffs, while gentle, had frustrated him, prompting him to practice his shooting until dark and then turn in after that when he had found out she had already gone to bed. Being dead not yet two days before, feeling rather empty emotionally, and having a pretty woman refuse him all in one day had taken its toll. No amount of drinking could drown his sorrows, he reasoned. His victory that morning had bolstered his mental energy only a fraction of what a genuine smile from Susan would have if she had bothered to let him woo her.

Rogers and Banner were still up, talking quietly about their lives since the alien invasion. The two sat in one corner of the main room with a large open window that brought in a cool night breeze. They glanced over at the progress of the drinking game intermittently, shaking their heads each time. Natasha and Hawkeye sat in another corner together, close enough to talk without being overheard but not close enough to be considered intimate. Hawkeye nodded in the direction of the balcony, and Natasha's eyes followed. They seemed to come to an agreement, and Hawkeye stood, stretched, and walked out onto the balcony. Natahsa followed a minute later, but she slipped outside to watch in the shadows while Hawkeye ventured further.

"You mind?" Hawkeye asked Katniss, who had gone out some hours before to think in a quite spot outside the contestants' quarters on the balcony overlooking the hidden city.

Katniss shook her head, not really caring anymore. Her anger was gone for the time being, thanks to the traumatizing horse ride that morning. While she was also tired, sore, and dispirited from bouncing around on Bree and the results of her shooting, it had been the sheer terror of the ride that had worn her down the most. Hawkeye grunted softly as he sat. She wasn't the only one feeling the after effects of riding.

"You alright?" He didn't look at the young girl but rather stared into the moonlit night.

"Yeah," Katniss muttered, eyes downcast.

"I think you're lying." Katniss's head jerked up in surprise at the blunt statement.

"What does it matter to you?" she spat. "Nobody around here gives a d—n about me." (_Here or back_ _home_, she thought glumly.)

"Maybe not, but we still have this stupid competition to finish, and since we are on a team together, I'd like to know if my teammates are up to the challenge, whatever the h—l it may be."

"You think I'm worthless, don't you?"

Hawkeye shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "I think you've been through h—l and made it back alright, but I also think you need some advice if you want to stay alive, and I'm not just talking about this competition." Katniss raised her brows at this.

"So now you're gonna give me a life lecture? Great. I haven't had one of those in a while."

"Look," Hawkeye began, "I don't know the details of your background, and I don't care. Life sucks, and it's not fair. Deal with it. I can stand your bad attitude for about as long as until the next challenge starts. After that, suck it up or I will put an arrow through your calf, and you can sit out for the rest of whatever that pointy-eared b****** cooked up. Got it?"

Katniss glared at the man sitting next to her. She had begun to like him during the past day or so. He spoke his mind and could hold his own, but now she resented how he held his superiority over her. She had seen him lose his temper that morning, and while she had little sympathy for the horse, Katniss knew he had been on the verge of shooting Legolas, Bree, or both of them. Hawkeye and Katniss stared at each other for a moment, ignoring the drunken shouts of abuse as one of the contestants succumbed to an alcohol induced slumber.

The furious teenager was the first to break the hostile silence between them. "What gives you the right to tell me what to do? Who made you dictator of this group? You're nothing better than those gaudily dressed bimbos in the Capitol." The words came out in flat anger, her eyes accusingly bright.

"Listen, kid," Hawkeye returned standing up to face Katniss. "We're on a team this round, which means someone needs to be in charge. Now there's a reason why teams aren't democracies. Nothing gets done, and, in a military setting, people die. As far as I can tell, Lover Boy over there has his mind set on one goal, which is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with this last challenge. He doesn't care who's in charge. He just wants the chick, and I will be d—d before I let a teenage girl give me orders, especially when she doesn't seem to grasp the concept of putting personal feelings aside."

"You were right about one thing," Katniss muttered. "You don't know me at all. You wanna know why I've had such a bad attitude?"

"Not really."

Katniss continued anyway. "Because ever since my sister was chosen for the Hunger Games and I volunteered in her place, I haven't felt in control of anything. I was hunted for days, saw kids kill kids, had to pretend to be in love with a boy I may or may not actually have feelings for, and had to almost commit suicide just to save both our lives. We got back, and the people were all hailing us as heroes while I felt like a murderer, and I knew the politicians back in the Capitol are furious. My country is on the brink of turmoil, the politicians probably want me dead, and I'm can't even make up my mind as to who I'm supposed to love."

Hawkeye just stared at the young female, face clearly perplexed. "Yeah. I have no idea what you are talking about, but I still stand on the whole 'suck-it-up' thing."

"Thanks for caring!" Katniss shot back.

"Which is exactly my point!" Hawkeye said with a gesture of exasperation. "You can't control most situations, but you can control how you react to them. Go with logic at best and instinct when necessary. Nobody cares how you feel, and it won't get you anywhere. Deal with it."

"Oh, right," Katniss said sarcastically. "Because you handled this morning with a stunning amount of logic and no emotion whatsoever."

"Believe it or not, not everyone is perfect," admitted Hawkeye.

He had felt bad about his actions that morning to some degree. Normally, stress like this competition would not have phased him, but apparently the strain of world jumping and meeting new creatures had messed with his head more than he had realized.

"That elf nearly killed me today with the help of that stupid horse, but it was an accident. I over reacted in a bad way, and I apologize that you saw that. I'm not too proud to admit my mistakes, and I did apologize to the horse and the elf. But now I have to put that behind me and instead of whining about my arm, I'm choosing to ignore it. I suggest you do the same and move on because like I said, people don't care about what you're feeling." Finished with his lecture, Hawkeye went back into the contestants' main living area. "And get some sleep."

Katniss didn't know what to say. She stared dejectedly out into the night, hoping to find solace in the unveiled stars. A roar of drunken laughter flared out into the night, another contestant having passed out. Hawkeye's apology had come as a bit of a surprise to her, and she felt like a jerk for hating him earlier. Still, Katniss remained confused, annoyed at her own inadequacies, wondering if she was up to the task of facing the last challenge, even with a team.

"He's not completely right, you know," a female's voice spoke out. Katniss's head lifted to see the one called Natasha. "There are some people who care. You just have to know who they are, what emotions to share with them, and how to protect them."

"Well, he's not one of them," Katniss said stoically.

"He cares," Natasha said simply, squatting down so that she was level with Katniss. "He sees potential in you, but if that potential is going to make it, you're gonna have to protect it first."

"More advice?"

Natasha shrugged. "Only if you need it."

"Do I?"

"You could do with a little more."

Katniss shrugged diffidently. "Why not?"

"From what see, you've got the skills and the brains to get through a lot of tough spots. You've done it before, right?" Despite Natasha's limited understanding of the past events, she had garnered the essential facts.

"I barely survived the Hunger Games. I've never been so afraid for my life."

"But you survived."

"I had to."

"Why?"

"I told my sister I would try to win."

"How?"

A smile touched the troubled girl's lips. "Haymitch got 'em to change the rules, but when Peeta and I were the only two left, they tried to change 'em back. We threatened to commit suicide. That got their attention, and they let us both live."

"So you controlled them." The statement was enough.

A small revelation went off in the younger woman's mind, the reflection shining through her eyes. "I suppose so."

"Don't ever forget that feeling," Natasha said, a hard edge to her voice. "In that moment you were resolute and focused on the goal and only the goal, right?" Katniss nodded. "Then channel whatever emotions you have: pain, anger, and especially fear into one thing. Determination. Got it?"

"But that was-"

"Then?" Natasha interrupted, an eyebrow raised. "Trust me. When emotions threaten to overwhelm you, take a step back and be objective. If you keep yourself focused on the goal here and now in situations that aren't quite so life-and-death, then in the times that really matter, you won't have to worry about all those emotions. It'll be second nature."

"But what about him?" She jerked a thumb in the direction Hawkeye had left.

"Don't worry about him," reassured Natasha, gesturing dismissively. She straightened up and took a few steps back to survey the troubled teen. "He had a bad day, is all. The best thing to do is shake it off and move on. I've had to do it a thousand times myself."

Several moments passed as Katniss thought over what had been said. She still felt conflicted, but some things started to make more sense, in a foggy sort of way. "So this really works for you?"

"Takes a bit of practice and a couple of hundred dangerous assignments, but yeah it works."

Katniss fidgeted with a loose thread on the hem of her pants.

Natasha smiled at the younger woman, nodded a little in satisfaction. She'd be alright. "You really should get some shuteye." Natasha headed inside, contented she had completed her task.

"Thanks," came the soft reply, just before a thud followed by Legolas' voice announced the winner of the drinking game.

Returning the well-lit interior, Natahsa saw that every one of the drinking competitors, save Thor, was either slumped across the table or lying on the floor. She nodded to Hawkeye briefly, a signal that her end of the conversation with Katniss had gone well. Receiving the information, Hawkeye saluted briefly and headed for the men's quarter, following his own advice.

"Who was first out?" Natasha asked the three remaining individuals who weren't inebriated.

"Haymitch," answered Rogers.

"Although, we're pretty sure he was already mostly drunk to begin with," Banner continued. "Much was next, then Stark, and lastly the dwarf, Gimli."

"Leaving Thor as the winner," Legolas finished, nudging his unconscious friend who was snoring loudly.

"Nevvvver trrry to outdriiiink a ggggod," Thor slurred, raising his now empty mug of ale in a sloppy salute. "Th-the ale wasssn't hafff bad eitherrr."

"I'm glad you liked it," murmured Natasha.

"Anoooother!" a drunken Thor shouted, unsteadily standing and launching his mug toward the ground in front of Legolas. Suddenly, his eyes crossed, and a moment later he was on the ground, following the lead of the rest of the competitors, the hurled mug deftly caught by the elf prince before it could shatter on the tile floor.

"Winner by a whole half minute," Natasha muttered. "Oh yeah, I can't wait to see them in the morning."

"Speaking of which," Rogers said, reaching down to pick up a drunken Thor. "I think we should get all of them to bed."

"Have fun with that." Natasha left the men (and an elf) to deal with the men (and dwarf).

0o0o0o

"Rise and shine!" a (far too) cheery male voice exclaimed, waking the male contestants and their companions with a grumble as he threw open the curtains to allow the dawn's light to illuminate the room.

"How very original," Hawkeye muttered.

Merlin had already politely knocked on the door leading to the women's quarters, and found they were all awake and dressed, prepared for the day ahead. The women had even made their beds and tidied up the place, meaning he wouldn't have to.

"Jarvis!" Stark shouted as he rolled over with a pillow upon his head. He was still mostly asleep and still suffering from the after effects of the night before. "I will wipe your circuit boards the next time you turn off the window opacity like that."

"Aww, c'mon, Stark," Rogers called out cheerfully. He was fully dressed and had also made his bed with neat hospital corners. "It's a lovely day outside in Middle Earth, and there are no computers or technology in it. Up and at'em!"

"Shake a leg, Stark!" Banner called out playfully, smacking the groaning man with his pillow. Stark sat straight up and glared at the man.

"Watch it, Bucko," he warned. "I eat green smoothies for breakfast."

"Ooooh!" Much let out a loud moan. "Why is everybody shouting?"

"It's a lovely morning, Much!" Robin Hood said with a broad grin as he tipped over the cot the smaller man had been sleeping in. A muffled cry soon followed.

Much scrambled to his feet but ended up getting tangled in the sheets and falling over once more. "Robin! Confound your bloody cheery morning spirits. I have a splitting headache today and all you can do is go shouting about and kicking people out of their nice warm beds!"

"I'm sure breakfast will fix that," suggested Merlin, helping the small Englishman to his feet. At the mention of breakfast, Much perked up quite a bit, as did Thor and Gimli.

"I could do with a side of bacon!" Thor agreed in a chipper tone suggesting no sign of a hangover to cloud his spirits.

"Aye!" seconded Gimli (who was worse off than Thor but better off than the men).

With breakfast on their minds, the recently awakened men (and dwarf) quickly dressed, hurrying out into the main room before the food turned cold. The sweet aroma of coffee greeted them, as did more light from the clear dawn outside. Stark muttered something about missing his sunglasses. Merlin frowned, counting the number of people at the table. All save two were seated. Legolas, being in need of only a small amount of sleep, had gone out earlier that morning to roam the city and exercise Arod in the cool before first light.

Ah! Where was Haymitch?

Entering the men's room once more, Merlin could not help a disheartened sigh escape from his lips. Only two of the beds had been made (Captain Rogers and Bruce Banner, of course), and the rest were a helpless mess. Blankets, pillows, and some random bits of clothing were scattered about. Reaching down, Merlin inadvertently picked a pair of over ripened socks instead of a blanket. He grimaced and quickly tossed them to one corner, deciding it would be better to burn them than spend precious time washing the fetid things. He muttered a few words and the socks rose level with the window. After a few more words, the pair caught fire and Merlin let the wind take them away, down, down, down into the hidden valley below.

"I don't see what's so difficult about making your own bed," Merlin muttered as he set to making one. "If two of them could do, I don't see why the others can't! They're as bad as Arthur."

Walking to the back corner, Merlin spotted Haymitch who was still unconscious on his cot. Merlin poked the man lightly. Haymitch mumbled something about chariots of fire. Merlin tried again, this time shaking the man, but he refused to be woken. Shrugging, Merlin let the man be and straightened up the rest of the men's quarters before striding back out into the main room. If Haymitch missed breakfast, it was not his fault.

"Where's Haymitch?" Katniss asked Merlin as soon as he emerged.

At first, Merlin did not realize he had been addressed and continued towards the door leading to the rest of the city, intent on finishing the last few details of the final challenge before Elrond found out and consider him apathetic (_Which I am not!_ Merlin thought.) He had been up all night trying to finish the specifics Lord Elrond had requested.

"Hey, you!" Katniss called a little louder, tossing a fruit rind at him. Several members at the table called out a warning.

Merlin reacted instinctively, ducking as the projectile flew over his head. He looked around hastily and found the missile's origin. "What was that for?"

"Haymitch. Blond. Always drunk. Where is he?"

"Oh. Ahh. He's still asleep. I tried to wake him, but…" Merlin trailed off with a shrug.

Katniss picked up a pitch of cool water. "Oh, is he?"

She left the room (no one tried to stop her) and returned a few minutes later with a moaning-and-wet-but-pretty-much-sober Haymitch. He immediately went for the ale, then thought twice and took a cup of coffee instead. It was a monumental moment for him, but unfortunately, no one noticed (save Katniss who was too preoccupied to care).

With a sigh, Katniss sank down beside her mentor. He was usually worse when he was sober than when he was drunk, but she needed something that felt like home, and he was the closest she was gonna get. Katniss had a feeling events were about to escalate (_Teams? Really? What kind of contest is this?_). Her gaze drifted around the room until they snagged on Thor, who was waving his arms and describing something to a smiling Susan. His eyes were filled with a light that reminded her of someone back home. Someone who was her friend.

Of all the people in attendance, the Avengers were the least unfamiliar. These robe-wearing elf people and fantasy royalty people were starting to get on her nerves, but even Thor in his flowing red cape seemed more real and modern and normal than old-fashioned sounding Susan. And Hawkeye and Natasha definitely got what she was going through. She shivered—things felt too strange and alien. Maybe the Capitol hadn't been _that_ bad…but no, it had been because at that point, her life had been callous sport for the masses. At least here the price for failure wasn't her life.

"Hey," Haymitch growled, startling her out of her reverie. "That Norse guy. He looks like that kid you dig back home." She stared at him stonily.

And then they started arguing and things were normal again.

0o0o0o0o

"Merlin!" Elrond swept into the room about half an hour later, eyes gleaming with impatience (and yes, this was most peculiar for him, but he'd been feeling peculiar and out of sorts and most definitely un-elflike ever since these competitors first began arriving. Perhaps it was his half-human part coming through at last.). "I requested the presence of everyone at the Viewing Pavilion an hour after dawn. We do not have all day to tarry at the breakfast table."

Merlin had, for the first time in three weeks, just sat down to eat breakfast with the others like a normal person not ten minutes before (having finished all the particulars of the third challenge). What was more amazing, he'd actually begun a conversation with the beautiful dark-haired woman (a queen who didn't order him around or act like he was just some servant who wasn't worth conversing with) who asked a great deal about where he was from and was quite sympathetic after hearing about all his troubles with Prince Arthur. It wasn't often he found himself in a place where he could confide with people about his magical abilities without the fear of discovery (magic was, after all, outlawed back in Camelot), and he was pleased to find at last a patient and attentive listener who was able to appreciate his exploits (which he had been forced to keep a secret from everyone back home).

It was nice, after all, to find someone who didn't think he was a useless domnoddy.

Indeed he would have like to continue the conversation for quite some time, but upon Elrond's arrival (Merlin had miraculously had the time to ingest ten sausage biscuits, three fruit pastries, two clusters of grapes, and a piece and a half of toast all while talking to Susan) the young warlock leaped to his feet and began stammering explanations around the crumbs that threatened to dry out his mouth.

"Oh, never mind," Elrond sighed. "I should have sent the hobbits instead."

"Do you know where the hobbits are?" Merlin asked, raising an eyebrow. "They're currently washing a leech tank because they decided it would be fun to pour all Gauis's potions together and dare each other to drink it. I don't know what kind of creatures they are, but I'm certainly glad we haven't got any where I'm from."

There was a brief discussion in which Gimli defended the hobbits and nearly everyone else snickered into their sleeves. It ended with Elrond saying, "Haven't you got something you need to be doing?"

Naturally, being Merlin, Merlin did. He stormed off indignantly toward the Viewing Pavilion ahead of them and decided that maybe he'd go back to this Narnia place for a few days before returning to Camelot. At least Susan wouldn't make him run errands (or throw things at him, for that matter).

After apologizing for losing his temper, Elrond led the contestants and companions to a large open room, all stone and ivy around the pillars along the edges. It seemed fairly ordinary, but for a round table-sized hole in the floor of the room, the inside of which (where the floor might have been) flickered blue. After everyone had shuffled in and was staring at this peculiar…thing in the center of the room, Elrond cleared his throat.

"Merlin? A demonstration, if you would be so kind."

Merlin jumped (he'd been sulking a bit, having finished for the moment, and wishing he could go on conversing with Susan) and said, "Oh, right." He held out his hand and muttered something and suddenly a sapphire dome arose from the blue circle. Much reached out cautiously and found that his hand went right through it.

"Sorcery!" he stammered. "But that's...that's impossible!"

There were a few snickers (Could the Englander really _not_ have noticed until now?) as Merlin shrugged and replied tiredly, "Yes, it is, in fact, sorcery."

"Pretty blue," Haymitch stated, waving his hand through it fascinatedly, though his eyes were not clouded by strong drink for once. "Whats't for?"

"When the companions enter into the arena of the third challenge, we will not be able to see them directly," Elrond replied, surveying the group as he spoke. "Merlin has contrived this device by magic so that we may observe their actions as they overcome the obstacles within."

"What kind of obstacles are we talkin' here?" Hawkeye asked, leaning back against a pillar with his arms crossed.

"You will face them in teams," Elrond said. "As already mentioned—you, Katniss, and Robin Hood will work together, and Legolas, Susan, and Merida will form the other group. While your group was perhaps less favored in the previous contest, you will be given certain…benefits which your rivals will not.

"The goal of this competition is to locate and retrieve the five golden arrows which are guarded by different beasts and terrains throughout the arena. The winning team will be the first to find three arrows and bring them back to their starting position. The trials will most certainly involve dangerous situations and creatures, so teamwork and accuracy of aim will be crucial to the success of either of your teams."

"Right," said Merlin. He had retrieved an armful of bows and quivers from somewhere nobody had noticed and was handing them out. "Your weapons will work as they're meant to work in the arena. If something happens, we can always stop it and get you out, but the easiest way to end everything is to get at least three golden arrows (can't be less—can be more) back to your camp.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, clapping his hand to his head as he handed Merida her bow. "Almost forgot. Maps. One for each team. Your camp is marked in blue and the various challenges are marked as well, though specifics have been left out."

He pulled them out of a pocket (or it might've been thin air) and handed one to Robin Hood (who only squinted at it, and then handed it to Hawkeye) and the other to Legolas.

"I should probably ask if you have questions but the spell isn't set to last forever, so we'd better begin. If there's anything I forgot, I'll…send a mysterious voice from the sky or something. Otherwise, there will be no communication between us and you. Just jump into the circle and hold your breath until you feel the ground under your feet."

It was a rather long monologue (especially directly following Elrond's) but the contestants looked determined instead of defiant (except for perhaps Hawkeye, who had mostly contained his annoyance that he seemed to not be able to shake this time, and Merida, who generally didn't like people telling her what to do when she had no desire to do it). Legolas and Hawkeye were the first ones to step up to the blue surface (it looked almost like a glowing pool of water).

"Together?" Legolas asked, his eyes still tinged with apology. "For fairness' sake?"

"Together," Hawkeye replied, his gaze catching light from the ivy and flashing green for a fraction of a second.

"Ah," said Merlin. "Perhaps if you all jumped together. Holding hands is good too—but only the teams."

This was quickly arranged. The teams stood facing each other on opposite sides of the magical pool. Katniss felt Hawkeye squeeze her hand, to remind her of their discussion (Natasha was watching her too). Robin gazed longingly at Susan for what he thought might be the last time (well…the last time for quite a while at least). Merida wondered why Legolas' hand was so cold.

And then they jumped.

The portal shimmered as they sank beneath its surface, and there were a few moments of silence before several view-screens appeared along the edges of the blue dome around the pool. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. It was a grave moment.

"So a blond, a brunette, and a red-head walk into a forest," Stark began in a deadpan voice, intently staring at the screen which showed the arrival of the team containing Legolas, Susan, and Merida. Everyone looked at him, reactions varying from confusion to disbelief.

Captain Rogers was the first to recover. "I thought they walked into a bar."

Banner was a close second. "You've waited a while to say that, haven't you?" Stark grinned.

"It is a bar, right?" Rogers asked thoughtfully, searching his memory.

"Yes, Rogers. It's a bar. Stark was being cute," Natasha ground out.

"You think I'm cute?" Stark said in mock surprise, posing for effect. "Why, milady. Thou doth honor me with thy affections."

"Wait. Why is it always a bar?" Rogers continued, fixed on one thought.

"Because that's where all the ale is, of course!" suggested Thor, the variation of the common Earth joke lost on him (all of the non-Avengers decided to ignore the banter…save Haymitch).

"Ale? Bars? Where?" Haymitch (who had been studying the Katniss via the dome) suddenly asked, oblivious to the previous context. Banner waved to both interested men dismissively. He'd tell Rogers some other time.

"Go throw yourself in front of Clint's arrow," muttered Natasha, her eyes beseeching the sky for some deliverance of the arrogant man.

"I'll save that for you. I'm sure Cupid lent him the ammo," Stark replied smoothly.

Natasha smile sweetly back at him. "You only think I won't take one of them and make you squeal."

"Ahh, those things are just full of love."

"Love can hurt." The smile turned chilly.

Stark decided to change subjects. Fast.

"You said something about the challenges in there being dangerous?" Stark remarked to Elrond, raising a dark eyebrow in question. "So what happens if they…you know, die?"

Elrond deferred to Merlin, choosing instead to sit and ignore the present company until their maturity level reached the age of fifteen. "Oh," said Merlin, realizing they were all staring at him. "Well, they don't really die. They just disappear from the game and are returned here at once. By magic."

"Ah," said Banner, leaning back against a wall as he settled in to wait for the long contest that was about to begin. "Magic. Well. I'm sure everything will work out fine."

"Who wants popcorn?" Stark asked.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	8. The Perilous Islands

**Disclaimer: None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. ****All of them. This chapter also includes aspects of a previously untampered with fandom, _The Princess Bride._ No eels (well...very few eels, I should say) were harmed in the writing of this chapter.  
**

**A/N from Waves**: We are now transitioning to the drama section of the story. We will try to include bits and pieces of humor when possible, but since the competition is through the eyes of the contestants, the peanut gallery will be silent for a bit. Surprise! We are actually going to focus on the challenge/the-real-reason-why-we-are-writing-this while trying to develop the characters past one or two traits.

Thank you for your continued support! We hope you enjoy the coming chapters in a more dramatic light.

**KC adds**: Oh, and the beginning of the semester means that updates may be more sporadic. While the fact that we have a deadline with this story (Friday) certainly helps in the generation of updates, should things get out of hand before the story finishes, we may go on hiatus. Highly unlikely, but a possibility. Stay tuned, and as always...

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 8: The Perilous Islands

The sensation of entering this new world was not unlike traveling through the pools in the Woods Between the Worlds. Most of the contestants had forgotten to hold their breath as Merlin had advised, and they caught the strong odor of sulfur mixed with sickly sweet decay as they descended into the new world. A myriad of colorful lights flashed around them, and then suddenly they were through, blinking at the world before them in surprise.

Legolas looked around, taking in the fresh breeze and the sight of meadow grass bending in the wind like the smooth waves of an endless ocean. The dark green tree line began a half mile from where they stood. More meadow stretched out on either side of him, but what lay behind him took his breath away. Behind him was nothing. No sky, no sun, no ground. This seemed odd in contrast to the sunshine, green grass, and richly colored flowers that dotted the area in front of him. The darkness extended for miles in either direction without seeming to end. Birdsong came from the forest, and crickets chirped in the grass, but no sound came from the solid blackness.

"I wonder what lies beyond the darkness," Susan murmured, staring into the black wall with interest.

"Nothin' good, I should think," Merida replied, her attention settling on the more familiar woods.

Legolas spotted three packs resting on the ground and began to rifle through them. They contained various kinds of food (Lembas, dried fruit, smoked meat, and nuts), a skin of water each, a skinning knife, rope, warm cloaks, bandages, medicinal ointment, flint with steel, and a blanket roll. He redistributed the weight so that Merida's was the lightest, followed by Susan's and then his own. Satisfied, the elf gave a pack to each of the women.

"I can handle more, ya know," Merida said with a bit of defiance. "I'm no' a wee baby."

Susan had graciously accepted the lightened pack, realizing the elf had done so more out of practicality than insult. "I'm sure he doesn't think so," Susan remarked soothingly as she donned the cloak. While the air was pleasant, there seemed to be a slight chill on the wind. "Legolas was being a gentleman…I mean gentle-elf…oh _bother_, that doesn't sound right."

Letting the cloak swirl around her, Merida conceded. Hefting the pack, she was secretly glad it had been lightened a bit. She wasn't looking forwards to a long trek on foot, preferring the comfort of Angus' saddle. "I suppose, I should thank you then."

"Consider your thanks accepted," Legolas said. He then turned to face the others with a rather serious expression. "I think we should avoid the darkness and focus on the competition at hand."

"Are you eager to win?" Susan asked, adjusting the straps of her travel bag.

"I am eager for this to be over," Legolas replied stiffly. He pulled out the map and checked his bearings. "Where should we journey first?"

"Why don't you choose, Merida?" asked Susan.

"Me?" Merida looked at Susan in surprise.

"Most definitely," Susan confirmed, sensing the young woman needed a boost of confidence. "Would you mind giving Princess Merida a chance to look at the map, master elf?" Legolas complied.

"Let's see," Merida mused as she pored over the map. "Why don' we try this one?" She pointed to the area north of them labeled 'The Sea Islands'. Susan and Legolas nodded in agreement.

"North it is," Susan declared, setting off in the direction of their first challenge. Legolas retrieved the map from Merida, and they followed the queen in silence.

They had been tramping along for a while when Merida broke the quiet. "Do ya think there will be danger out there, like tha' Merlin said?" Merida tossed a look back over her shoulder at the blackness.

"I doubt whatever the young wizard has created will be truly harmful to us," Legolas responded. "Even if it is, better to go ahead and get it over with."

"Why do you think that?" questioned Susan.

Legolas looked at the queen. "I agree with what Hawkeye said about this being waste of time."

"You don't like competitions?"

Legolas studied the surrounding woods to their right and rolling plains straight ahead.

"I have had many with my friend, Gimli, the dwarf, but they were not like this one."

Merida decided to join the conversation (they were a bit taller, and so left her out quite without meaning to). "How so?"

"We competed with each other amidst war and between great battles. During the War of the Ring, we did our part to dispel death from dampening our spirits. Even before the war I attended many hunting parties in my homeland, but even that seems like the distant past compared with my new longing for the sea and the many adventures to be had upon its waves. But competition during war takes the mind off of death, and competition for game takes the mind off of boredom, but competition for one's own praise in the eyes of strangers seems rather petty."

"What about competition for good fun?" Susan asked. "I don't care much for winning, but I have enjoyed meeting new people, listening to their stories, and showing the skill we all share and love."

"We have games all the time back in my land," continued Merida. "Of course, it usually ends in a brawl, but we have a dandy good time all the same, and me triplet brothers can cause quite a ruckus."

"Perhaps," mused the elf. "I will do my part to help us win the three golden arrows, have no fear in that."

The three walked for an hour and a half more before reaching their first challenge. They stood at the edge of a narrow patch of sand, ocean on one side and grass on the other. A sign staked in the ground declared the area as 'The Perilous Islands' ("Curious," murmured Susan worriedly. "That's not what it said on the map."). Several small islands dotted the water, each within jumping distance, and each reaching farther into the water. The largest island was the most distant from the shore. A soft golden light shone from the grassy land.

The elf studied the water as it lapped gently near his booted toes. He did not like the look of the water, nor the smoothness of the grass, nor the gray of the rocks bordering the pieces of land. Something (or somethings) lurked beneath the chilly blue. "There lies our prize," Legolas said, dropping his pack to the ground. "I will go and retrieve it."

"Whatever do you mean?" asked Susan. She let fall her own pack and stopped the elf before he could leap onto the first island. "We're going with you."

"Aye," Merida chimed in. "Or did ya think we were goin' ta just stay here and watch like a gaggle of wee birdies?"

Legolas frowned. "I meant nothing by it, but I feel a dark shadow growing in my mind when I look into the waters. Something stirs beneath the waves."

"Which is more of a reason for us to come," Susan said firmly. She tested the tension of her bow. "If there _is_ true danger, as Merlin claimed, then you will need our help."

"I can handle myself." Merida shrugged off her pack and undid the knot holding her cloak in place. The arrows in her hip quiver rattled faintly with the movement.

"We are a team, Legolas." Susan met the elf's gaze firmly and saw, after a moment, that he understood her determination.

"Very well," Legolas agreed. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious." He took an arrow out of his quiver but did not nock it yet. "Wait for my signal."

The elf leapt onto the first island which rocked a bit under his weight. He motioned for the girls to follow, and they made it onto the patch of land without incident. A thin mist rose from the water.

Then everything went wrong.

The island suddenly lurched upwards where the mist thickened, and all three archers fought for balance. Fortunately, all three contestants managed to keep from falling off the island. Legolas retained his balance, catching Susan's arm before she fell. Merida had fallen by the edge before the other two could help her. She let out a terrified scream at the sight of a head-sized fish with viciously curved teeth that came charging at her. An arrow pierced it through a foot from her face.

"We have to get to the next island!" Legolas urged, shooting several more of the attacking fish. After the initial one, they began appearing in groups of twos and threes.

"Where are they coming from?" Susan cried out, picking off a couple of targets of her own. "And how are they swimming through the air?"

Merida had gotten up, managing to kill a fish with trembling fingers. "I see it! I see it!" she shouted, pointing at the barely visible sight of the next island. It was moving left, then right, then up, then, down, then back, and forth, and all around.

Legolas snapped off another arrow. "You go first, Susan. Be careful of other creatures. Merida, you follow. I will come last."

Susan ducked her head through her bow, letting it rest on her shoulder. She had no idea if the space between her and the island was water or air, for the creatures most definitely belonged in the water, yet were floating out of it into a realm into which they should not have been able to venture. Taking a few steps back, Susan ran forward and leapt to the next island with a soft cry of effort; she barely made it, clinging to the grass by her hands before hauling herself up. Chancing a glance down, Susan noticed that the island was several meters in the air, and the water below held nothing but sharp rocks, which they had not noticed from the shore. The space between the islands had been air (albeit misty air), but somehow these sea creatures could traverse through it—and that sent shivers down Susan's spine. With a burst of strength, she hauled herself onto the land and waved to the others.

"Jump, Merida!" Susan shouted, reaching her hands out. No creatures had made it this far yet, though soft puffs of strange lights appeared in the distance. The young girl took a running start, her hand stretching out to Susan. Their hands caught, but Susan was almost dragged from the island with the weight as the red-head almost plunged to the rocks below.

"Ouch!" Merida cried out, a flash of pain coming from her leg. She looked down and saw a strange, glowing creature with a round top and many gracefully waving limbs brush past her—jellyfish. Susan pulled the red-haired girl up, anxiety on her face.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Merida nodded. "I think so."

Legolas suddenly appeared from above, swatting at a jellyfish before it could sting Susan. "Come! We mustn't tarry here. Locate the next island."

As soon as the words passed the elf's lips, the island lurched higher into the sky. Susan and Merida scrambled to their feet, shooting the glowing creatures. Their arrows shot clean through, but only the arrows that pierced the puffy bodies killed the creatures. Often times the tentacles would wrap around the arrow shaft and then let it drop to the distant ocean. When they did die, the creatures' glows flickered out, and they sank slowly.

Legolas spotted the next island, and again Susan went first, followed by Merida, whose leg was burning in pain, though she staunchly refused to say anything about it. When Legolas left the last island, it was almost over ridden with the poisonous jellyfish, but he seemed to bear no ill marks from them. This time, the three were prepared for the island's sudden movement into the sky followed by several additional softer movements. Yet this time no creatures suddenly charged at them through the mist. Susan took the time to look at Merida's leg.

A shriek split the sky in two. Legolas jerked his head up—a Nazgul? Here? No…it was something else, though. Something just as deadly.

"What was that?" Merida asked in a small voice. Susan left off checking Merida's leg, which appeared to be fine for the moment.

"We need to keep moving," Legolas said, looking around with unease. His bow was nocked and ready. Another shriek swirled around them and then another. They did not see the charging eels until it was almost too late.

Now shrieking eels are something these particular characters could not in a hundred years be expected to recognize or anticipate, as none of them had been given the chance to read a certain story called "The Princess Bride" in which these fantastic and horrifying creatures were first featured. However, to their credit, not one of the archers was fazed.

Three bows sang once and three dead eels dropped to the ocean below, but three others were soon upon them. They came too close to shoot, forcing the contestants to use their bows as clubs and their arrows as knives. Susan found the fourth island, and the three were soon on their way, with a shrieking eel ripping Susan's skirt and nipping at Merida's hair.

Legolas was on his way over to the next island when suddenly a dark mass with eight tentacles enveloped the elf. With a cry of alarm, Susan let fly an arrow into the creature. Merida's shot immediately followed. The creature let out a screech of pain, loosening its grip on Legolas slightly. With a burst of speed and a rapidly expanding cloud of ink, it and the ensnared elf disappeared from sight.

"Legolas!" Susan screamed. The elf did not answer.

Merida peered over the side, face pale and terrified. "Legolas!"

Suddenly, a jumbled mass of rubbery tentacles and green-clad limbs (attached to an elf who was very much alive and intact) landed on top of them.

Legolas gasped for air. "We must hurry. There may be more."

Helping the elf out of the tangle, Susan gaped at the massive octopus.

The next island was no less difficult, for this one moved in spastic motions with massive sharks charging from every angle. Several smashed into the underside of the island, and after the fourth time, the island began to break apart.

"We have to jump now!" Legolas ordered. All three took a flying leap to the next island, with only a vague idea of its direction. Legolas killed several more sharks while flying through the air, and Susan managed to wound one. Merida caught ahold of the next island and climbed onto it, her jaw locked in determination.

Again, the contestants had a bit of a lull from attacking sea monsters. Their arrow supply was running low, and the two ladies had several bruises and various cuts as well as Merida's burnt leg, but Legolas seemed to be unscathed, though his clothes were torn and covered in slime. A dark something flashed past them; the contestants froze.

"That looked big," Susan said softly, staring at the mist in fear. The island rocked as the something brushed past them again. A large glob of saliva landed on Merida. They all looked up slowly to see the massive head of a giant sea serpent.

"Fire!" Legolas shouted, as he unloaded an arrow. At the noise, the sea serpent darted away with alarming speed, and the arrow bounced off the hard scales. Susan's following shot also skittered away.

The creature continued to dart in and out of the mist, sometimes ramming the island, sometimes trying to nab one of the contestants. After several minutes of this, Legolas devised a plan in which the girls would be the bait while he would jump on the creature and attack it from above. Like a dragon, the creature had a soft underbelly, especially under its chin, near the throat.

Unexpectedly, the creature shot out of the mist, and Legolas somersaulted onto the head of the beast and slashed at its eyes with an arrow. With a deafening cry of agony, the creature reared up. Susan and Merida both took the shot, their arrows burrowing deep into the creatures brain, straight from the throat, through the brain stem. The elf landed lightly beside the two women while the sea serpent fell away in the spasms of death.

"I think the next island is the last one," Susan said, resting her hands on her knees.

"If this was the creature for this island, I don't want to see what comes next," Merida said vehemently.

"Perhaps this was the last one," Legolas suggested, peering into the mist at the gently glowing golden arrow.

"Do you really think so?" Susan asked a bit hopefully.

"No," the elf replied. There was no time to be optimistic.

"Well, what are we waitin' for?" Merida muttered. She gathered her skirts for the final leap.

The three made it to the last island without incident, and Merida eagerly reached for the golden arrow. As soon as her quivering fingers touched it, the weapon disappeared. Merida and Susan cried out in surprise.

"Wha' now?" Merida moaned. A roar answered.

"I've heard that voice before," Legolas said, turning round and round to locate the source. "It's the Watcher in the Water."

Another roar sounded, followed by countless tentacles, free of little suckers like the octopus but twice as strong and twice as fast as the other tentacle creature had been. Susan fell with a cry as the massive creature caught ahold of both her legs, swinging her into the air and towards its gaping mouth.

"Aim for its head!" cried Legolas to Merida who quickly complied. The elf focused on shooting at the tentacles, forcing the creature to constantly shift its prey to other appendages. Susan had lost hold of her bow, flailing at the creature's arms with little success.

"I'm ou' of arrows!" Merida shouted in panic.

"Use this!" Legolas tossed the young woman one of his white knives, unsheathing the other for himself. They went to work slashing at the rubbery arms, more and more piling up on the small island. A few grabbed at Legolas and Merida, but they managed to hack them away.

With an angry roar of pain, the Watcher pushed off from the island, seeking the comfort of the ocean beneath the final island (except that it floated upward instead). Dropping his knife, Legolas scooped up his bow, pulled one of his arrows free from a severed limb, took aim, and fired at the creature's open mouth. The arrow flew true and deep. The Watcher was dead before it realized it. Susan let out a cry of alarm as the arms suddenly loosened and sent her tumbling through the air. Legolas caught her as she fell, and Merida laughed in delighted delirium while she capered about for a moment.

A bright golden arrow suddenly appeared where the first one had been.

"We did it!" Merida sang, running forward to snatch it up. This time it did not fade away, but stayed clasped within the fiery haired maiden's bleeding fingers. She laughed.

"Indeed we did," Legolas said with a smile as he set Susan down. "Are you alright?"

"I believe so, master elf" came Susan's reply. She opened her mouth to say any number of things that might've been appropriate for the situation, but eventually simply said, sincerely, "Thank you."

Legolas bowed.

The mist cleared quickly, and the island ceased its erratic movement and slowly sank into the ocean once more. The three could see the shore, and the other islands aligned so that they had only to walk across, no leaping or fighting vicious sea creatures required. As soon as their feet hit the shore, the three contestants sank to their knees and then lay down in weariness.

"I think we should rest up before we travel to the next challenge," Susan suggested.

"Agreed," seconded Legolas. He got to his feet again and looked around for some firewood.

"Can I keep the arrow?" Merida asked from where she lay in the sand.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	9. Guams

**Disclaimer: ****None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. All of them. **Except for Guams, but we sort of stole his name. If you can guess where it came from, you win a virtual golden arrow.

**W(aves)/N**: In answer to some of our illustrious reviewers, the giant sea serpent was definitely the book-verse sea monster. The third challenge was hashed out in a coffee shop, so our imagination was running wild. The only part based on a comic is the idea of an archery competition among these six characters. Everything else was imagination on our part.

**A/N**: Well classes have started again, so unless Waves and I are able to wrap this story up pretty quickly, it may go on hiatus. So stay tuned, and if nothing appears next Friday or Saturday…I heartily apologise. But for now…

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9: Guams

Having rested for an hour, Legolas, Merida, and Susan were ready to journey to the next challenge. Susan had repaired her torn skirt with neat little stitches that barely showed (she had found a sewing kit at the bottom of her travel sack). The pain in Merida's leg was nearly gone thanks to a soothing ointment administered by Susan, though several strands of reddened welt wound their way around the Scottish girl's leg. Susan had let the injury air in the pleasant sunshine but wrapped it in clean bandages (also found in her pack) to prevent any contamination just before their journey resumed.

Legolas had spent the time repairing the fletching on a few of their arrows. In addition to winning the prized golden arrow, they had discovered an extra pack of arrows for each of them (exactly like the personal ones they always carried) on the shore. Now that their ammunition was resupplied, the three were more optimistic about facing new foes.

After eating a bit of toasted Lembas bread (Susan and Merida both agreed it tasted quite nice and that indeed after one bite they were quite full) and strips of dried meat softened in boiling water to make a nice broth (they found the pot next to the arrow cases) with a couple of dried plums and several mouthfuls of cool, sweet water from the ocean (for some reason while the air had the scent of salt on it, the sea's water tasted sweet), they repacked their bags and set out barely past midday.

The three agreed that Susan should pick the next location (she chose the one called "Three for One"), and that was when they discovered that the place where they had entered this world was marked by a glowing blue 'x' and that hovering over the simple depiction of "The Perilous Islands" was a shining golden arrow. Merlin could really do wonders with his magic.

Several miles, a small mire, and a patch of forest later, the elf prince, Narnian queen, and Scottish princess found themselves in a completely circular clearing with large, irregularly shaped stones making another perfect circle. The ground was entirely level with shortly cropped green grass, and directly in the center stood a pedestal with a large, pyramidal case resting on top. Merida's smiled broadly as she recognized the stone arrangements. A large, black pebble caught her eye, and she picked it up. It was smooth and shone merrily in the not yet waning sunlight. Drawing one of her arrows from her hip quiver, Merida drew a rough image of bear on the surface of the stone. Satisfied, she returned it to its home while whispering to the wind her love for her home country, her family, and especially her mom. The other two contestants shared her grin and exchanged looks of relief.

Whatever this challenge held, it certainly could not be more difficult than "The Perilous Islands."

* * *

_Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the map..._

"Well," said Hawkeye, grimacing and rubbing the swellings that made a curious spiral across his hand. "That was eventful."

Katniss continued to shudder, glancing around at the round, stinking bodies. She hated spiders. Hated, hated, hated. Almost as much as she hated the people in the capitol (well, okay maybe more than she hated the people from the capitol. At least they didn't have eight legs and evil eyes that glittered at you menacingly…yet. Who knew what next year's fashion statement would entail).

"Why the heck couldn't they just call this place 'Mirkwood Spiders'?" she asked, kicking at one of the carcasses, which had curled up in its last throes of death.

Robin looked up from the golden arrow he was examining thoughtfully. "Perhaps they did not want to give away the danger of this place—though perhaps this is a place that would be more familiar to our rivals. I am certain Queen Susan would know of it."

"Right," Katniss said, rolling her eyes. "Just like she would've known how to climb the tree (in her long medieval gown) and shoot spiders from the branches like I did."

It had been quite a battle. After arriving in the forested area, the three had selected by mutual agreement the location termed "Mirkwood" simply because it was closest to their camp. While the name implied a certain amount of doom, none of them had quite expected the boar-sized beasts on eight legs that nimbly evaded their arrows and left stinging welts behind at every touch. Each of the archers had done their part—and done it well. Their bows sang, and Hawkeye was pleasantly surprised to find that he had his old arrows back—the ones that exploded. This was very helpful, and as soon as they discovered that the spiders feared fire, things were much easier to handle. The funny thing was that their hissing sometimes sounded like they were talking, but the contestants had been too busy to really pay attention. Besides, _talking_ spiders?

The golden arrow was stuck in a web in the center of a glade. None of them could reach it until the last spider lay wheezing out its last breath on the darkened forest floor. It was decided, then, that the next challenge they chose would not be chosen simply because of its location. It was, however, imperative that they got a move on before the other team got ahead.

Before Robin could respond to Katniss's comment by leaping to Susan's defense, Hawkeye held up his hand. "Ladies, please. We need to move on before the others get ahead of us. We've got one arrow, but we need two more before all's said and done. Which one next?" He pulled the map from his pocket and studied the names of the different challenges curiously. Two of them were marked with golden arrows that had not been there before—the one they had just completed, as well as one called "The Sea Islands," which was on the other side of the map from their current location. Hawkeye supposed the other team had taken the arrow from that one.

One of the challenges caught his eye—one that sounded much less foreboding than "Mirkwood"—"Snow Caverns". "This one sounds interesting."

"It sounds _easy_," Katniss admitted. Anything would be easy after the spiders. "Maybe we'll have to shoot snow hares or something."

"Let's not," Robin said abruptly. "It reminds me of Susan."

"What?" Katniss asked sharply, confusion on her face. "Never mind. I don't really want to know."

As neither Hawkeye nor Katniss appreciated Robin's sentimentality (or, shall we say, the sentimentality of Robin's _mind_), they settled on the "Snow Caverns" as their second challenge.

It was not really Robin's fault, you see, that he was in love (or in 'like', one might say) with Queen Susan. It had not been a conscious choice—there were other forces at work. For somewhere in the back of Robin's mind lurked the knowledge that everyone he loved most (Marian mostly) was dead, and he had died too, and had been with her, but now he had been unnaturally dragged out of the afterlife to fight in some silly contest. There was a great deal of unresolved angst (not to mention bewilderment and anxiety) which that corner of his mind knew it must deal with in full eventually, but at the moment, it much preferred to revert to simpler processes of thought. Love (rather than pure fear of loss), for instance. In this sense, it was not really Robin's fault that he'd gone soft-brained over a certain pretty young lady. It was his mind's. Then again, Robin did always have a soft spot for beautiful and somewhat dangerous women, especially brunettes.

This entire digressive reflection took a surprisingly infinitesimal amount of time. Robin was drawn back to the present in time to see Katniss securing the golden arrow (which she had taken from Robin's hands while he was reflecting) in her pack.

"Where are the others, do you suppose?" Robin asked innocuously. "Is their camp marked?" Their own camp (a few crates which had contained bags of leather and their weapons, as well as woolen cloaks) was marked by a shimmering blue 'x'.

"No," Katniss said, scowling a little. "They could be anywhere."

They could be watching us now, she thought, shivering a little. A dull green light trickled down on her from the nearly black trees, piercing little holes in her mind so that fear could enter. She felt her stomach heave (this was altogether too much like the Hunger Games), but she swallowed her terror ("Suck it up, Katniss," she muttered to herself) and shook her head.

"It would make the most sense if that Merlin kid dropped them hereabouts," Hawkeye was saying, gesturing to the opposite side of the map. "Which means they'll go for these challenges first—the ones closest to them."

"Don't want to let them get ahead," said Katniss gruffly. "We'd better get a move on to those snow caverns."

They walked for about a mile, marking the trees so as to be able to find their way back to the spider-graveyard (and then back to camp) if the need arose. Katniss noticed that the ground grew steeper after a bit, and the air grew colder. There were less green things on the ground. At last it began to snow. Through the trees, the three archers saw a medium-sized mountain rising up out of the ground. Its roots were white with patches of snow. The contestants quickly dug out the woolen cloaks from their packs and put them on, careful to keep their quiver accessible. The early evening, wintery sun shone too weakly for their tastes.

"Well," said Hawkeye dryly. "We've found the snow. Now where's the cavern?"

They proceeded to look for it, which involved shortening the distance between themselves and the mountain. Robin was the one who spotted it at last—a gaping maw in one of the mountain's foothills. It appeared, upon closer examination, to be a cavern carved out of the ice. Exchanging curious glances, the three competitors carefully made their way into the hole.

"Y'know," Hawkeye remarked, rubbing his arms as a chilly wind blew across them, "the description of this was actually not very accurate. This isn't a snow cavern—it's an ice cavern."

"Yeah," replied Katniss. "It would have been nice if these little skirmishes came with a description next to their unhelpful names, like "freaking huge spiders in a creepy forest." How far back does this thing go?"

The further they went, the eerier the cavern grew. It branched off into several smaller caverns, into tunnels that glowed with the same eerie blue light that was on their map. The ice crunched under their feet. Even Katniss and Robin, who at least had sleeves, felt the chill, for the cloaks could only do so much to dispel the cold.

Then they reached a corner and saw that around the bend was another light—a golden glow that reflected strangely on the icy surface. A breath of warmth caught Katniss unaware, and she let out a little gasp of pleasure as it heated her freezing fingers. The ice under their feet was slushy—the walls were melting. Hawkeye and Katniss noticed these things first, but it was Robin who realized why.

"By George," he stammered, eyes widening, mouth dropping open in astonishment. "It's a dragon!"

"A dragon," Katniss scoffed. "Right. We have to fight a dragon to get our second golden arrow." She paused. "What makes you think it's a dragon, anyway?"

"Other than the melting ice and the heat coming from that room?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Man's got a point," Hawkeye added. "Sides, it seems like something that Merlin kid would pull. He's from a medieval time period, and the goons in charge seem to be too."

Katniss nocked an arrow. "Listen. I don't know what's in there, but dragon or not, we might as well get moving."

"You don't understand," began Robin. "Their scales…Legend says they're as impenetrable as armor! The only way to kill one of the dread creatures is to shoot it in the soft spot under the jaw or to pierce through its eye to the brain (according to the myths I've heard, of course). Some have bare spots on their undersides, but even so…"

"Jaw, eyes, belly. Got it." Katniss took off toward the corner and Hawkeye leapt after her.

"You wanna get yourself killed?" he snarled, dragging her back by the arm. "Do we even know how big this thing is? Maybe we should sneak in and surround it…some of us provide a distraction… I may not believe in dragons, but every situation calls for a little eval before rushing off and getting killed."

Katniss ripped her arm free and glared. "Or maybe we should just stop wasting time and get it over with. I don't know about you two, but I can't afford to lose."

"Doesn't mean you have to be stupid," Hawkeye rejoined, but Katniss was already moving again. She rounded the bend before either of the men could convince her to hang back, but the sight she saw made her freeze in her boots, stiff as a stone statue. Hawkeye and Robin stopped just behind her.

The glow was stunning—the light from a thousand icy surfaces reflected off piles and piles of golden coins and cups and statuettes that shone in their faces with the intensity of a small sun. In the middle of this massive gleaming heap was stretched a long, sinuous creature. Its scales were a pale, iridescent blue, and reflected a silvery light. They looked almost transparent, as if the entire creature was formed entirely of the ice that surrounded its lair. Another glow, this time red, shone through the creature where the fire was born inside. Soft purple from where the blue and red mixed evenly framed the new fire. It was beautiful…at least it was until they realized the dragon would most likely shred or burn them to pieces in an instant.

It shifted its weight and sent a cascade of gold coins clattering down from the edge of its golden nest. Hawkeye thought it was asleep until the beast lazily opened one eye (which was the same shade of icy blue). "Well, now," it drawled in a deep, leisurely, and rather _cultured_ voice. "Visitors for tea."

Katniss's mouth dropped open. Robin raised an eyebrow. Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "Good grief—a talking dragon? Never mind. I don't want to know."

"Fires below, a sarcastic human?" returned the beast, shifting its bulk upon its golden bed once more. It closed its eyes lazily. "And here I thought you were all melodramatic warrior types, your only goal in life to make off with my gold, as per the clichés of human heroism."

The three archers exchanged a look. Robin mouthed something that, if he'd actually spoken, probably would've sounded like, "Well we aren't exactly here peddling rags, are we?" Yet despite the fact that dragons were (supposedly) infamous for their greed and territorial behavior over treasure, this dragon was simply content to lie in the midst of its riches, speaking to the invaders of its cavern as if it wasn't bothered a bit by their presence.

"How did you get here?" Robin asked after a moment. "Why the ice caves? Don't dragons breathe fire?" The others really could have cared less. They were more focused on the goal, and were at that moment glancing around trying to locate the second golden arrow.

"I don't have to answer your questions, puny mortal," wheezed the beast, sounding rather amused. "But for the sake of your curiosity, I will say that the boy Merlin brought me from another world (he is, after all, a dragon-lord), I am an Ice Dragon, and would you like to see whether or not I breathe fire?" It smiled at Hawkeye (the real threat, it thought)—a sharp, toothy smile. "I would so love to give you a demonstration."

Katniss sighed. This was ridiculous. "Look," she began. "Can we please just get this over with?"

"As you will," the dragon murmured, eyes still closed. "Just be sure to shut the cave door on the way out."

She nocked an arrow. Hawkeye grabbed her arm and hissed, "What are you _doing_?"

Her eyes blazed back at him, full of anger and impatience. "Getting the arrow. It's somewhere in here, and that…that _thing_ certainly isn't going to give it up without a fight."

"We could try asking," Robin suggested mildly, imagining the cave filled with the scent of charred human flesh. Besides, he could sense that Susan would try something else before resorting to violence.

"Ha. Of Course. What kind of challenge would that be? 'Go into the depths of the ice mountain to beg the prize off a transparent dragon'." She rolled her eyes. "The danger is _so_ overwhelming."

Grabbing an arm each and saying, "Excuse us, please," (to which the dragon replied, "Oh, take all the time you like,"), Hawkeye dragged the two back around the bend, away from the dragon for a more private conversation. "No. There has to be a better way—one that doesn't involve facing down a furious dragon who wants to fry us all for supper. Not everything has to end in confrontation, Katniss."

It was an interesting scene. Katniss and Hawkeye stood stock-still, engaged in a silent battle of wills. It wasn't just about fighting the dragon—it was about the contest, it was about their team and who was calling the shots. Hawkeye realized in that moment just what it felt to be Nick Fury—to be the wisest one in the group, and therefore the one who should be making all the hard choices.

"You have to listen to me," he said. "You and Robin both—you have to agree you'll do what I say. Otherwise you are gonna end up dead, either by me or him." He pointed at the dragon.

"Right," Katniss snorted, although her casual attitude rang false. "Not that we actually can die in this contest."

"Well, actually," Robin began, but Hawkeye interrupted with an abrupt, "_Promise _me. We'll try it my way first, and if that doesn't work, then we'll try it your way."

It was a long moment, but at last Katniss lowered her bow, looked away, and said, "Fine. Whatever you say."

Hawkeye let out a breath he'd very consciously been holding. "Good. If this doesn't work, run like h—l and take shots when you can." They went back around the bend and were again facing the dragon. "We are looking for a golden arrow—something we need to end this game and get back to each of our worlds. I think that once the game ends, Merlin—the kid with magic who brought you here—will return you to your world—just the same as us. We don't need any of your gold and we don't want a fight—we only want the arrow, and the end of this game."

The dragon had opened its eyes again and was watching him quietly. At the end of Hawkeye's speech, it shifted its weight and let out a little puff of smoke in something like a sigh. Seven droplets of water fell from the ceiling where the ice had melted.

"Ah, the arrow. You would want that. But, my dear human, there is a problem with your attempt at bargaining. You assume I want to end this game just as you do and return to my world—a world that is sadly devoid of such quantities of gold." It stretched and rolled its neck about in the pile of glowing coins. When it opened its eyes again, there was a strange, new look of deviousness in them. "Tell me, human. Why ever would I want to leave when I have all I desire right here?"

The beast's muscles tensed, but there was only a split-second for Hawkeye to notice. The pile of gold exploded. The three archers stumbled back as great translucent wings flapped once—twice—the wind catching at their clothes and blowing them backwards.

"You don't want a fight?" the dragon asked, now nearly roaring, its eyes alight with a devilish fire. "Well hear this, human—think to steal my gold and you will have one."

"RUN!" shouted Hawkeye, shoving Katniss to the left while he took off toward the right. Robin hesitated, and then tore after Katniss, and just in time, for a second later, a great burst of fire was singeing the air and melting great quantities of ice where he'd stood.

Although it was hard to keep his footing as he ran through and over piles of golden coins and slippery ice, Hawkeye did his best. He knew that one of them had to find the arrow, and if the other(s) could keep the dragon distracted in the time being, perhaps they would succeed. He looked to his right—there was a table that was covered with crowns and shields—ornamental weapons as well. Then he heard a screech from behind and turned with an arrow already on the string.

It seemed he was to serve as the distraction.

The dragon reared up in front of him, baring its fearsome teeth. He let fly an arrow, but the explosion landed on its armored shoulder, and seemed to have little effect. Dodging a stream of flame that left his right arm tingling (he'd narrowly escaped being burned that time), Hawkeye fired another shot, then turned to see how Robin and Katniss were doing. Katniss was watching with a horrified expression on her face, but Robin was waving his arms, holding something aloft triumphantly—the arrow.

The moment in which Hawkeye then hesitated was the moment in which the dragon decided to use its other defenses—namely, its tail. A long, heavy object slammed into Hawkeye's back, whiplashing him into a suit of golden armor. He felt the air leave his lungs in a rush, felt the ribs and vertebrae strain almost to the breaking point. The armor was sharp and cut a gash across his jaw and cheek, leaving half his face bloody. Katniss fired three arrows in quick succession and drew the dragon's attention away from him, and after he'd recovered his wind, Hawkeye stood shakily.

"THIEVES!" the dragon bellowed. "None of your mortal arrows can do me harm. Foolish—all of you are so foolish…have you not been warned: meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for—"

There was a quick twang of a bowstring and the dragon let out a screech, interrupting what it had been going to say. It twisted backward, landed, and let out a stream of fire that melted a pile of golden coins into a clumpy mess inches away from where Hawkeye stood. When at last the beast toppled over, the fire was already fading from its eyes.

"You have won," it murmured incredulously as Hawkeye moved toward it. "All…too easily. But let not the name of Guams be forgotten. Let it be known…that I found my gold…at last…"

Hawkeye reached down and twisted the golden arrow out from where it had penetrated the delicate skin underneath the dragon's jaw. The dragon (Guams, apparently) let out one last moan, then let its eyes flicker shut for the last time. Steam rose from his body, enlarging the cavern a bit more.

"Good shot," said Hawkeye, handing the arrow to Robin Hood. The former outlaw blinked, surprised by the compliment, then nodded curtly. "Good distraction."

Katniss, however, looked as though she was about to take a swing at their leader. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? You could have been KILLED! I TOLD you the dragon wasn't going to give it up without a fight, but did you listen to me? No! We had to try _talking_ to it first!"

"No." Hawkeye answered, rubbing his cheek absently. "I didn't. Because that was a plan of last resort and mine at least had a chance of us not getting burnt to a crisp or smashed to bits. You did well, though," he amended, looking at her carefully. The edges of her cape were ragged and burned. "Both of you did."

Katniss flushed and looked away. After a moment, she bent and withdrew from her pack some bandages. "Here. Clean your face up. Those are some nasty cuts."

Hawkeye accepted them gratefully. Once he'd finished, he drew out some pieces of dried meat that had been placed in their packs (these he handed out to the others and began chewing on a piece himself) and took out the map as well. A golden arrow had appeared next to the words "Snow Caverns". A couple of drops of water pooled on the map, and were soon smeared by Hawkeye's hand.

"That wasn't as hard as it could've been," he muttered. Glancing at the others, he saw that only one challenge other than their two had been completed—the same one he'd noticed before, called "The Sea Islands".

"It looks as if the others haven't found any more arrows," he said to Katniss and Robin. "We may still have a chance at winning this thing."

"H—l yes we've got a chance," Katniss replied, gnawing on her meat more contentedly than he'd seen her in hours. "But it's getting late—they probably stopped to find a place to sleep. Don't you think—"

"Yes," said Robin quickly. He turned to Hawkeye and said, "It isn't as though we'll get very far travelling in the dark. We'll need all our strength for the last challenge, if we want to get to it before they do."

"Right," said Hawkeye. He realized, with a moment of astonishment, that the others were actually treating him like their leader. It was an unsettling realization. "Once we get out of these freezing caves, we'll find a place to bed down for the night."

As they gathered their belongings (and a few pieces of gold for good measure) and Katniss tucked the second arrow carefully away in her sack, Robin sighed.

"Imagine. Once this is all over, I'll have so many exciting stories to tell Susan."

Hawkeye and Katniss simply groaned. The sooner this was over, the better. A loud crack resounded above them, followed by skittering lines running down the cavern walls with tinkling showers of ice chips falling about them. The dragon's fire and steam coupled with the explosion of Hawkeye's arrows had seriously compromised the network of caves.

The ice groaned.

Hawkeye swore violently, then turned to the others and shouted the obvious:

"RUN!"

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**


	10. Three for One

**Disclaimer:** **None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. All of them. **

**A/N: **Have an update! It's only due to Waves that this chapter is done and posted. Waves wrote most of it (including the fantastic riddle!) but I did have a section somewhere near the end. :) Oh, and the beginning section is really rather morbid (some of you will catch this), and I blame this ENTIRELY on Waves. Talk about a funny sense of humor...then again, we all of us have our moments. :D

Golden arrow goes to **Lady of Stormness Mountain,** who correctly identified Guams as a slightly switched around version of **Smaug**, from the Hobbit (soon to be voiced by the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch...). Thanks to all our lovely readers for keeping up (or taking the time to catch up!) with this silly story, and for all of those generous enough to leave reviews.

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 10: Three for One

"I've never eaten fox before," Katniss said as she picked off the last bit of roasted meat from a rib bone. "Not a bad shot."

"You're two for two now," Hawkeye concurred, nodding his gratitude to Robin Hood. He winced at the spasm of pain in his neck following the head movement. After the events of the day before, his entire body ached. They all had various scrapes and bruises, some due to their mad dash out of the collapsing ice caverns (complete with frozen water in the shapes of sharp daggers and ricocheting chunks) and some thanks to their escapade in the forest that previous morning with the spiders. However, Hawkeye had unquestionably received most of his injuries from Gaums.

"Not bad…for an Englander," he added, referring to the shot that had won them their dinner, a far more appetizing meal than strange bread and dried fruit with even drier meat.

The smaller man looked a little guilty. "I didn't really want to kill it."

"It's just a fox," Katniss snorted. "And anyway, you had to shoot it before it disappeared into the forest with our second golden arrow. I'm just glad you able to hit the sneaky little thief."

Robin rubbed the smooth golden shaft, not entirely convinced.

"I can't help but feel a bit of me died with it," he murmured reflectively. "I've always liked foxes."

"Okay," Hawkeye interrupted before Robin could continue his morose musings. "Katniss, refill all of the water skins and get more firewood before taking first watch. Robin, again, good job killing Guams and securing dinner. You get second watch. I'll take third. Don't let the fire burn out. We leave at dawn, so make sure you get some shuteye."

Katniss stared at Hawkeye, anger threatening to crease her brow. "Why do I have to do all the chores?"

Wrapping himself in his cloak, Hawkeye put his back to the fire (the night was turning chilly since they hadn't ventured too far into the forest away from the snowy tundra of their last challenge) and to the protesting girl, shifting until he was decently comfortable. "You get the privilege because you almost lost the second golden arrow, and unless you want last watch, I suggest you follow my orders."

"It wasn't my fault. That stupid fox was the one who stole it out of my pack when I was helping you," protested Katniss.

"And Robin retrieved it," a threateningly soft voice replied. Katniss got the message but could not help grumbling a bit (mentally, lest Hawkeye changed his mind). Robin Hood and Hawkeye were soon sound asleep with a grumpy Katniss as their guard.

* * *

Smoke curled against the grey, morning sky accompanied by the hiss of drowning flames.

"Let's go," Hawkeye ordered the other two who were settling their packs more comfortably for the trip ahead.

"Where we off to?" Katniss asked, nodding towards the loosely rolled map in Hawkeye's hand.

"Another cryptically named location. Now c'mon. We're burning daylight." He motioned towards the direction west of the frozen tundra. "Judging from this map, we should get there in an hour or so, assuming another glowing arrow doesn't pop up there."

"Have there been any more?" Katniss asked, jogging slightly to catch up with the swiftly striding man.

"Not since Guams."

"I wonder what has happened to Susan," Robin mused from behind the two others.

"I don't suppose your concern extends to the other two," Katniss said sarcastically over her shoulder.

"Enough chatter," Hawkeye interrupted. "Whatever happens to the other team is not our concern. Let's just get this over with."

The brilliantly glowing sun rose gracefully in the crystal blue sky as the three humans journeyed through the forest. They noticed a change of flora every half mile, as if the entire forest was, in fact, several spliced together from various worlds and climates. At first, the forest had been dark, the vegetation almost as black as it had been around the spiders' lair, but then the foliage converted to a brighter green with broader leaves and taller tree trunks that grew straight towards the sky instead of twisting in on itself in sickened misery.

"I know this wood," Robin murmured in wonder. "This is Sherwood Forest...I'm sure of it."

And indeed it was. Another half mile passed, and it was Katniss who gazed around in wonder, for she recognized the trees as those she used to hunt among back in her hometown. It was remarkable how such a strange wood could look so much like home. Loneliness arrived unbidden, wrapping its cloying fingers around her not entirely hardened heart. It brought back memories of the Other Game, the one she was trying to forget.

There was a part of her that did not want to forget; a part that felt rebelliously glad at the thing she had accomplished. She had won-truly won-the Hunger Games, had beaten the Capitol at its own game, which was a feat no one had ever done before. Her sister's face flashed in her mind's eye, reminding her that she had been victorious in her purpose-she had won for her sister's sake. For Peeta's sake. For the sake of her own life.

But then there was the part that wanted to forget. The part that felt the weight of all the _wrong_ and trembled under it. She had killed. She had killed and suddenly the woods felt alien to her because she was not the same girl who had hunted there (at home) all those years ago. Another face flashed in her mind. The eyes were closed and the face was peaceful, belying the scene below the neck where the spear had pierced young, vulnerable flesh, where it had ended a life. Rue. The image of her still form still brought tears to her eyes. It rent her heart in two.

"Where is home?" the words slipped from her lips before she could stop them.

Hawkeye looked across at the troubled girl and felt the slightest twinge of pity. "Home is where you make it and who you make it with."

Katniss jerked her head up in surprise, then furrowed her brow uncertainly. "I feel so alone."

"Right now you're not," the more experienced man remarked simply, practically. "Tomorrow, you may be, but today, you've got two others to watch your back." They heard a sharp curse from Robin as he tripped over a root. "Well, one and a half at least."

The forest thinned slightly, eventually giving way to a thin strip of marshland. Fortunately, none of the contestants were sucked under the stinking waters, though the accompanying bugs did little to brighten their spirits. Finally, two hours past dawn, hot and sweaty and complete with bug bites, the three made it through another patch of forest and into a completely circular clearing with large, irregularly shaped stones making another perfect circle.

"Stonehenge?" Hawkeye snorted in disbelief. "Who knew I'd go sightseeing European vacation spots in another world."

"What is this place? Katniss asked as they approached the stone circles as well as the golden pyramid resting atop a pedestal. She looked around in wonder.

"Some say it's a religious place," Robin said softly in reverence. "Some say it is a burial ground."

"And some say it's a place to blow your entire vacation fund to go see," interrupted Hawkeye who scrutinized the pyramidal case. A sort of stinging thrill went through him when he reached out and touched it, and a flash of green light in his head set off echoes of wariness in his mind. "But today, I'm gonna call it our final challenge."

"What do we do?" Katniss asked as the three stood in front of the pedestal and its burden.

They dropped their packs at the edge of the stone circle before approaching the center, though Hawkeye slipped the rolled map through one of his belt loops. Walking slowing around to study every side of the pyramid, Hawkeye's brows furrowed in concentration. "I haven't the faintest. There are no seams, and this thing isn't coming off of the stand." He took one of the hunting knives and struck at the golden object. "This looks like gold, but it's too hard to be real, so I guess that rules out hacking the thing open."

"What do these designs mean?" Katniss pointed to the embossing on each side of the pyramid. One side depicted the profile of a lion standing on its hind legs, another showed a thistle plant in full bloom, and the last illustrated an eagle with its wings spread wide while the claws reached out towards some unseen prey. But that was not all. While the pyramid seemed to be made entirely of gold, each depiction had two small diamonds encrusted somewhere: the jaws and paws of the lion, the bud and base of the thistle, and either eye of the eagle.

Hawkeye felt the surface of each creature and plant. He fingered the diamonds, pressing and scratching at them in turn. "I have no idea," He said at last. "Hey, Robin. Do these carvings mean anything to you?"

The Englander looked over each on in turn. "I recognize the lion. It's similar to the king's coat of arms. The thistle and eagle may be native to England, but I'm not sure."

"Alright," Hawkeye said, rubbing his face with a calloused hand. "Spread out and see if you can find a clue or something that might help us figure out what we have to do."

The three searched the surrounding area carefully, starting with the large stones, searching for any markings that might indicate their task. A little outside of the stone circle, Robin's eye caught on a large, black pebble. He bent down and studied the shiny surface, running his fingers over the smooth, unscathed surface.

"Hey!" Hawkeye shouted, catching the attention of Robin and Katniss. They both jogged over to him. "Look what I found." He bent down and motioned to the dark green line in between two of the stones.

"What is it?" Katniss asked, unimpressed.

"It's just a line," Robin answered, also unimpressed.

"Geniuses," muttered Hawkeye. "Yes, it's a line, but what's more remarkable about this line is that it directly faces one side of the golden pyramid over there."

Katniss caught on quickly. "And there are two more just like this one that face the other two sides."

"So?" Robin hadn't boarded this particular train of thought yet.

"So," Katniss continued. "If there are only three lines, and they face each side of the case, then I think we're supposed to stand behind them and shoot at the box. Right?" She looked to Hawkeye.

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I think we're on the right track."

"Where do we aim, and does it matter where we stand?" Robin inquired.

"Hawkeye," Katniss said sharply. "Do you think the name of this place had anything to do with the challenge? I mean, the last two were pretty vague, but Robin said this is a place of meaning for religious stuff or something. What does Stonehenge mean to you in your world?"

"The map didn't say this was Stonehenge," he replied, unfurling the map. "They called it 'Three for One'."

Robin frowned. "Not very useful, is it?"

"Maybe," Katniss muttered. "Maybe not."

"Keep searching," Hawkeye ordered, looking at the sky. Something in the back of his mind nagged at him, but he couldn't place a finger on it. It had to do with the green light. So much green.

Not long after they resumed their search, Katniss called them over to the pedestal.

"I think there's an inscription around the pedestal," she said pointing to the scrolled markings running along the thin edge.

The two men leaned closer to inspect the detailing.

"It looks like decoration to me," Robin decided. Hawkeye wasn't as sure.

"It might be writing, but I've never seen that language before, if it is a language."

"It looks like some of the markings just need to be turned slightly or something to create letters and words," Katniss rubbed at the carvings, her thumb coming away covered in a fine black power. She blew at it, her eyes widening at what happened next.

"You saw that, right?" she asked, clutching Hawkeye's shoulder tightly in disbelief.

When she had blown at her thumb to rid it of the powder, some of the markings on the ledge _moved_. The word "one" could be made out roughly.

"I saw it," Robin confirmed softly.

"I don't believe it," Hawkeye said incredulously.

Katniss blew on the ledge softly, and the markings moved to form letters, letters they recognized, and then words, and then sentences. She continued the wind treatment all the way around the ledge until she reached her starting point. They all stared in stunned disbelief.

"I'll be d—d," Hawkeye breathed.

"Magic," Robin said simply.

The message around the pedestal read as such:

"Three for one

And two for one.

Two for two

And one for one.

One for two

And one for three.

All at once

And once is all."

"What the h—l does _that_ mean?" Katniss asked, confusion and frustration clearly in her voice.

"It's a riddle," Robin stated beginning to pace around the prize. "Once we figure it out, we can shoot for our prize- since this is an archery competition- and be on our way."

Hawkeye swore under his breath and stretched his aching back. "Brilliant. We're in an archery competition solving riddles."

"Why don't we just start shooting?" inquired Katniss.

"We can't!" Robin insisted.

"Why not?" Katniss asked, already unslinging her bow.

"Because it looks like we've only got the one shot to get it," Hawkeye replied. "The last line—once is all. That's got to be what that means."

"Oh…so what do we have to do to win?"

"I have no idea," the spy said shaking his head. "I hate riddles. Wish I had Director Fury here right about now."

"Well," said Robin, infuriatingly brightly. "Let's start from the top, shall we? Three for one. Can we assume that means three archers for one target?"

"Sure," said Hawkeye with a sigh. He leaned his bow against a stone block and sat down on the grass. "Sounds good to me."

"Two for one…" Robin squinted at the lines pensively. Then added, "No. I have no idea."

Katniss was examining the pyramid, tracing the diamonds on each figure thoughtfully. "Hang on. I think we need to count everything. I mean, think about it. If this riddle has nothing but numbers, then we need to see what adds up to it all. There are two diamonds on each side. Three sides—one for each of us. So two diamonds—targets?—for each one of us?"

With a start, Robin glanced over at her. "That…that actually makes sense."

Hawkeye harrumphed from where he sat on the ground and rested his aching back against one of the large stones. "Maybe we should try another challenge. One with things to shoot at."

"Two for two…" Katniss touched the diamonds again, then let out a laugh. "Of course—two arrows for two targets—one for each! And one for one…one side for each one of us!"

Robin was nodding excitedly, unconsciously affected by the fact that the usually morose teenager had finally found something to electrify her—something she was good at (because while Katniss was plenty good at shooting things, she had been in lots of situations that required plenty of hard thinking to get out of). Hawkeye, meanwhile, had sat up a little bit. The girl was really catching on, and, for once, she didn't seem to have the dark cloud hanging over her.

"One for two…one person for two targets," she continued, holding up fingers and poking the diamonds with them. "One for three could mean…"

"Well if one is persons and three is sides, then you have—"

"One person for each of the three sides!" Katniss grinned at Robin, for the first time having the slightest inclination to admit that they weren't such a bad team after all. Things were looking up. "Each of the sides has a different picture of it, our respective sides."

"So what are our respective sides?" Robin asked, motioning to the depictions on the golden pyramid.

Katniss walked slowly around the pedestal and its burden. "You said you recognized this one, right?"

"The lion? Yes." Robin nodded in agreement. "I don't know about the other two, though."

"We could always go with plain old symbolism," Hawkeye said. Katniss frowned.

"So, you'd be the bird and I'd be the pointy plant?" Katniss did not look amused.

"It makes sense," Robin agreed. "The lion is on the royal crest of England, my homeland. The eagle is a keen-eyed flying predator like Hawkeye's name suggests, and your personality-"

Robin stopped in dismayed midsentence, realizing what he was about to say. "-…is a little prickly…like the thistle plant." Katniss did not look amused, and Robin seriously wondered if she would harm him. She had, after all, once nearly broken his nose.

"Good," Hawkeye said, relived they were getting somewhere and brushing past the awkward hiccup at the same time. He looked over at the frowning girl. "And yeah, you do have a thorny personality. Get over it."

Katniss accepted this with a philosophical sigh. "Getting back to the riddle. And all at once…"

"That's pretty clear," said Hawkeye, rising and picking up his bow again. He looked at Katniss a little differently—a little more appreciatively than before, and she had gotten over the personality remark rather quickly. He gave her a nod of approval. "And once is all."

"So," said Robin, ignoring the way Katniss and Hawkeye were exchanging a look that said something along the lines of 'Told you that you were more than all that angst stuff,' and 'Shut up. I guess I knew it all along,' "Basically, we've all got one shot, all shooting at the same time, to shoot two arrows at the two diamond targets on our respective sides?"

"From the lines," Katniss added, gesturing at the green lines. "We already figured that part out."

"Right!" said Hawkeye, moving to one of the lines. "Let's finish this, then." He drew two arrows from his quiver and nocked them on the string.

Katniss suddenly had a sinking feeling, and the cloud returned to rest above her head.

"Wait." She swallowed and thought back to the words of the poem. "Two arrows…at once?"

Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Pretty clear, isn't it? C'mon kid. You can do it. Can't be any more difficult than facing down a dragon." He frowned. "Unless something happens once we open the box. I really hope this doesn't belong to Pandora."

"But…" Katniss looked down at her bow (she had only shot two arrows at once for play back home-she'd never been much good at it), and suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that Robin's greenish blue eyes were filled with genuine sympathy and encouragement.

"You solved the riddle—only you. Doubt us not when we say that you are capable of this feat. You would not be here otherwise."

Swallowing again, Katniss nodded, for once not feeling sarcastic. She pulled two arrows out of her quiver and set them on her bowstring, about a fingers-width apart. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the green line facing her symbol—Robin had moved to another, and Hawkeye was already shifting his weight impatiently on his.

After Hawkeye said to count to ten and wait for his signal, they all drew their bowstrings back.

Each of the archers stared at their targets through narrowed eyes. Hawkeye controlled his breathing, focused on feeling the two separate arrows between his fingers. Breathe in. Breathe out. The muscles in his arm and back were warming to the exertion, and he smiled grimly.

Robin clenched his teeth and drew his bow, feeling only a moment of anxiety when the arrows nearly swung free of their places along his arrow rest. He gritted his teeth, tossed his hair out of his eyes, and settled back into his usual stance. He had done this before. He had done this hundreds of times. He could do it now.

But Katniss…Katniss was in a panic. She nocked the two arrows with trembling fingers and drew back. It was then that her fear chose to rear its ugly head, the ugly head of Medusa of all things. It quite turned her to stone. She stood there, panting, staring with wide eyes at the two diamonds which seemed to her to be very far apart. _Katniss_, she thought to herself. _If you mess this up, you will mess everything else up for the rest of your life._

…_so don't mess this up_. She swallowed and the fear drew back at the sudden spike of adrenaline.

"Now!" Hawkeye exclaimed with enough force to be heard but not enough to startle their tightly wound senses.

The arrows whistled through the air—an impossible six flying from three bows. It was only a split-second in which Katniss waited to see if her shots would fly true, but it felt like an eternity drawn out in elongated colors and slowed sounds. And then they were home—diamond home. She caught her breath as her two beautiful arrows stuck out like antennae from the side of the pyramid. She had never accomplished such a feat before—never. She would not forget it. Katniss almost laughed in delight, again lifting the cloud momentarily. If only Gale could see her now.

The others, skilled marksmen as they were, had also pierced their targets perfectly (they had expected no less). They all stood in silence for a moment, breathing in and out heavily as their hearts ceased rapidly drumming, and their lungs provided all the oxygen they would need to restore their body and mind, waiting for something to happen—something to prove that this epic test of their ability to work together as a team had not been in vain.

Something did happen. The arrows embedded deeply in the six diamonds vanished. At the top of the pyramid burst a light which slashed down each of the three sides of the pyramid, illuminating the previously invisible seams. The peak of the sides slowly peeled open and away from the center as if the shiny metal was not metal at all but delicately thin paper being rolled into a tight scroll. The light that had started as thin beams enmeshed into a single orb hovering around the centermost of the magical container.

There was nothing there.

Katniss swore and leapt forward. She looked inside the box, hands trembling, looked around on the ground. Nothing. There was no arrow.

"It's gone!" she cried. "Gone—or else all of this was just a diversion. A waste of time."

"No," said Robin snatching the map from Hawkeye's belt loop and studying it thoughtfully. "There would be no point to the riddle if the arrow wasn't in the box. They must have already come and gone, but the map doesn't indicate that they did win the prize here."

Katniss kicked a stone in frustration, and it skittered away, revealing a small footprint indented in the soft dirt next to where the rock had been. "They've been here alright."

His trained eyes looking around the clearing, Hawkeye saw no other signs the other team had visited the location. He took the map from Robin's hands. "There's definitely no arrow on the map," confirmed Hawkeye, his brow furrowed in thought as he muttered to himself. "And that's the only evidence I see that they've been here." Something was wrong here; he just had to put the pieces together.

"Strange," Robin agreed. "And now we have no way of knowing how many arrows the other team has won, how many challenges they've accomplished. I wonder if the magic has run out of this map. Maybe this Merlin isn't as great of a wizard as he claims."

Katniss blanched. "You mean they might already have three? But we have to get it—we can't lose! I know they said nothing about what happens to the losers, but I've been in one too many situations like this to know how it will end for us if we don't get that third arrow." She shivered and glared up at the sky, wishing she could see their sneaky, horrible faces. Curse this stupid game.

"We have two," said Robin a bit optimistically. "They couldn't have gone for all the others in this amount of time. They won this one, and the one with the islands which means there is only one arrow left that hasn't been attained."

"But supposing they've won it already!" Katniss wailed.

Snapping out of his train of thought involving too many puzzle pieces and an unclear picture to draw from but a strong gut feeling, Hawkeye addressed the other two. "Something's wrong here."

"Yeah," Katniss spat sulkily. "That stupid Merlin gave us a defective map, and the other team has this arrow."

"Not that," Hawkeye said, glancing around suspiciously while he nocked his bow. The others were confused at his change of body language. "I smell a trap."

Abruptly, the sky grew a little less blue. Something like a small explosion in their minds (startling, but not painful) sent a chill trickling down their rigid spines and suddenly, quite suddenly, everything was indeterminately different; the world around them was suddenly darker, as if seen through a tarnished filter. Hawkeye felt that this was the culmination of all his dread, his previous anxiety, his deepest fears. The puzzle pieces were fitting together, and the shadow that had been lurking over him since the near beginning of the competition was finally coming to light. And he had no idea what it was.

And then came the voice—the voice full of smooth contempt and dangerous wiles, which, from seemingly nowhere, quietly remarked, "How pathetic you all look."

* * *

_**Who is this fancy-voiced newcomer? What shall become of our brave heroes and heroines? And what in the world is happening back in Rivendell?**_

_**Find the answers to all this and more in next week's installment of CALLING ALL CONTESTANTS.**_

_(Because "To be continued..." was getting a little boring)_


	11. Competition Crasher

**Disclaimer: ****None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. All of them. **

**A/N: **Waves is a genius. No, seriously, guys. I mean have this week and next week's updates for certain, so it looks like we won't be going on haitus after all (God willing). Huzzah!

Anonymous reviewers** Guest **and** lillelouis: **Thanks so much for reviewing! We're so glad you're enjoying the story.

And now, in answer to all the suspense and questions and excitement concerning this newcomer, we present...

* * *

**Chapter 11: Competition Crasher **

All three contestants whirled around in different directions, searching for the mocking voice. While Hawkeye already had an arrow on his string, the reflexes of the other two were also finely honed, and within a split second of registering the strange voice, all three had their loaded bows at full draw trained towards the stone circle and forest beyond with their backs to the pedestal in a defensive position.

A tall, pale figure seemingly materialized between two of the rocks before Hawkeye and Katniss, a broad grin offsetting his cold, green eyes and slick black hair that fanned out sharply at his shoulders. He wore dark green robes trimmed in golden embroidery and loosely held a staff with a curved point and glowing orb at one end.

Hawkeye adjusted his aim and fired.

The figure started in shock, his entire body stiffening, and then disappeared as the arrow passed between the alarmed eyes. He reappeared behind Hawkeye and Katniss but in front of Robin Hood, who was caught halfway in the process of turning around to see what Hawkeye had shot. Clumsily, the Englander twisted to face the man, nearly tripping over himself in the process.

"No matter how many arrows you shoot at me, you will not be able to kill me," the newcomer said in an amiable tone, his broad grin undiminished.

Hawkeye and Katniss spun around at the voice, bows loaded (or reloaded as was the case with Hawkeye) and drawn. Robin had finally managed to find his footing and stood rock steady, ready to take a killing shot if it was necessary.

"Let's test that," Hawkeye challenged, nodding to the arrow with an explosive tip nocked on his bowstring. "It did wonders the last time you caught one of these."

Katniss glanced uneasily between Hawkeye and the new arrival. Robin Hood left his arrow nocked but lowered his bow now that he saw it was just a man (and a mostly unarmed one at that). Katniss kept hers at full draw. "Who is _this_ guy?"

"A pain in my a**."

The gold and dark green clad man chuckled good-naturedly. "How original. I cannot dispute that, yet I did give you the only true sense of peace you have ever felt."

"I was a slave."

"I never heard any complaints." He took a small step forward, his hands outstretched in a gesture of peace. "And I never made you do anything of which you were not, yourself, capable."

Hawkeye had slackened his draw at bit during this exchange (as had Katniss when she noticed he had), but he now raised his bow once more, the explosive tip faintly beeping in time with the gently pulsing little red light that warned of an impending explosion. "Mind his staff," Hawkeye warned.

"Why?" Robin Hood asked, stepping away from the new man in deference to Hawkeye's judgment but keeping his bow lowered in politeness to their visitor. In some way, he rather liked the look of this man who seemed to exude both poised power and casual charm while exhibiting no hints of the desperate insanity that had often plagued Guy of Gisborne or the fiendish ambition for revenge that had driven the sheriff into cruel madness for Robin's blood. The newcomer had said nothing of grave offense to them (though the comment about them looking pathetic hadn't been overly tactful) and had offered no quarrel as of yet. As far as Robin was concerned, they were the ones at fault when it came to etiquette.

"If he touches you with it, you turn into one of his own personal, brainless goons," explained Hawkeye.

"Is this true?" The question from Robin was addressed to the newcomer.

"From a certain point of view," the man said ambiguously, his attention shifting from Hawkeye to Robin for a moment while his features morphed from a sociable smile to attentive sincerity. "I can release you from life's greatest lie."

"Which is, pray tell?" Robin Hood asked, and even Katniss's curiosity was piqued.

"Not interested," Hawkeye ground out at the same time, his arms beginning to tremble with the exertion of holding his bow at full draw. Katniss had already slackened her grip to conserve her strength, confident she could shoot within a split second if she needed to. She felt drawn to the man before her, and somehow she knew he had the answers to all the riddles.

The newcomer's grin returned (a wolf's grin this time, Hawkeye decided), spreading his arms in a gesture of friendship. "From freedom, of course. But I did not come here to offer you that."

"No?" Hawkeye said, clearly unconvinced.

"No," came the soft, whispered reply . The features shifted to secretive confidence.

"Then what did you come here for?"

"To warn you of a lie that is not of my making, one that threatens you now."

"Seriously?" Hawkeye said, completely lowering his bow in disbelief. "Because I don't buy it." The bow rose again.

"I rather think you should."

"Let us at least hear what he has to say," Robin Hood urged. "He hasn't shown any indications of violence thus far."

"He hasn't shown any indications of violence to _you_," argued Hawkeye. "He sent an alien army to my world and made me his personal attack dog. That counts as more than an indication of violence in my book."

The man began to slowly walk the inner perimeter of the circle, his hands clasping the staff behind his back in open conviction. He bowed his head slightly as he spoke, as if the words themselves were a heavy burden to bear, and his shoulders slumped (barely noticeably) from their normally regal position.

"There are many of my actions that I regret," he began. "And I can never completely convince you otherwise—this I understand. I did not come here to take your trust unearned, but rather to gain a piece of it with the important information I intend to provide to you and your team."

Hawkeye's aim never left the pacing figure, his mind urging him to take the shot with every firing neuron of his being. He blinked sweat from his eyes, narrowing them slightly to focus on the unhurriedly moving target. It was a ridiculously easy shot; he couldn't possibly miss.

The man stopped and faced the three, planting his staff in the ground and taking a step towards Hawkeye, arms extended straight out laterally from his shoulders while exposing his unarmored body to the arrow with the pulsing red light. The man tilted his head back slightly, clearly revealing his throat while his chin jutted out in defiant audacity.

"I will not move from this spot if you choose to shoot me. I am offering you an olive branch, Clint Barton. Will you not take it?"

The face blurred again as more sweat dripped into his eyes. The sun seemed to be beating down on him mercilessly now, even though the world around him still looked like gazing out of a tarnished filter. His arms were trembling, and his heart beat wildly. Pressure accumulated around his ears as if they were covered with earmuffs, and virtually all sound faded away. All he had to do was let his fingers slip from the string and his enemy would be dead. The target was so close that when the arrow hit flesh, the shock of the explosion would most likely knock the three contestants off their feet and nearly disintegrate the figure before him. He didn't care. No more trouble would come after the explosion. He gritted his teeth, telling himself not to move.

A hand touched his extend arm, gently lowering the bow. A woman's face came into view, and it took Hawkeye a second to recognize it as Katniss. She looked concerned.

"Are you alright?" a distant voice came.

Shaking his head, everything receded to near normal. The sun was not as hot, his arms were fine, his heart rate was normal, and he could hear. He blinked a few more times to ensure his vision really was clear once more, and wiped the perspiration from his brow, belatedly realizing there was barely any. Usually he could manage stress better than this; maybe he was losing his edge.

"I'm fine."

"Actually, you're not," the figure remarked frankly, "but I can explain. If you can move your personal feelings aside for the moment and listen to what I have to offer you, I promise your mind will have clarity once more, and all that has happened" (he gestured to the empty box) "will be made clear."

"I think we should listen to him," Robin said, catching the eye of the spy. "I trust him."

"Suck it up, right Hawkeye?" Katniss murmured. She looked earnest, and in his heart, he knew she was right. Hawkeye eased all tension from the bow and kept his aim pointed at the ground.

"Alright then. You have half a minute to convince me you're not behind all this before I start shooting again."

The visitor bowed slightly with a relived smile. "Fair enough. I came to tell you that this world around you is a lie."

"No kidding," Hawkeye said acerbically. "We entered through this world by jumping into a magical bubble in the center of a stone table in the middle of a different world. Twenty seconds."

"I think you're missing the point."

"What do you mean?" Robin Hood asked.

"He's just playing us."

"Which we can't know for certain unless he tells us what he knows, and we compare it to what we know," debated Katniss.

"Unless he's the one who caused it. Ten seconds."

"You agreed to let him speak, and I think it's only fair if you let him instead playing out the time while interrupting his every word."

"I agree with Katniss."

"Time's up," Hawkeye said, his voice tight. The flashing red light shone brightly as the arrow was sighted once more. This time his mind was clear.

"The elf lied when he gave you the rules to this final challenge," said the man quickly, his hands raised in futile protection.

"Wait!" Katniss cried suddenly as she pushed Hawkeye's bow aside and placed herself between the two men. She turned to face the newcomer and approached him, less cautious now that the staff was out of his hands and out of easy reach. "How did he lie?"

The visitor stared into her grey eyes confidently. There was no guile in them, nor any hint of dishonesty in his voice as far as she could tell.

"Elrond instructed all of you that to win this final challenge you must possess three of the five arrows and bring them back to your starting position, correct?"

"It was Merlin who told us to rules, Genius," Hawkeye corrected. Annoyance flashed across the visitor's pale face.

"The rules were given to the boy by the elf to create this world and competition, were they not?"

Katniss studied the man carefully, her features impassive.

"I saw some of them in the medical courtyard," Robin confirmed with a nod. The man's face twitched momentarily, but he held his gaze solid with Katniss.

"Thus, Merlin stated the rules were as I just described?"

"Yes."

"Lie."

"How?"

"You need all five to win."

"Why didn't he tell us?"

"Because the elf didn't want you killing his own kin."

"He never mentioned anything about killing each other."

"Of course not."

"So at worst we steal the arrows from them," Hawkeye said, interrupting the exchange between Katniss and Loki. "We don't have to kill them to win."

"Until they come after you for the final game, that final challenge, and feel no such inkling of mercy," argued the man.

"I do not think Queen Susan would stand for such pointless bloodshed," Robin protested.

The newcomer surveyed the three in bitter disbelief, shaking his head sadly. "You really cannot comprehend the magnitude of the elf's treachery, can you? Are you all so blind?"

"Did really you come all this way to insult us?" Hawkeye said as his fingers fiddled with the fletching of the explosive arrow. "We need all five arrows to win. Thanks. Now you can be on your way, with or without an arrow in your chest."

"Oh, but that's not all," the man chuckled. Katniss narrowed her eyes, a threatening thought creeping out of the dark depths of her mind. "Merlin also told you that there are five challenges, yes?"

"Yes," Robin Hood confirmed a little less sure than before.

"Lie." The word was uttered with smooth delight.

Hawkeye shifted impatiently. "What isn't with you?"

"It's starting again, isn't it?" Katniss queried softly. Her haunted gaze grew distant, and a brief spasm of fear crossed her face while an equally fleeting frown altered the man's features, vanishing before any of the contestants could catch it. Something in her tone had alarmed both men, snatching their attention away from any other thought.

"What is it?" asked Hawkeye, wondering if this was going to be another one of her emotional breakdowns.

Katniss took up the cue, returning to the present. "Remember that conversation we had the other night on the balcony? Well, back in my world, there was a game every year where a boy and a girl ages twelve to eighteen from each district were offered up as tribute and made to compete."

"So?"

"The game was supposed to be a reminder of our past difficulties but it really was just entertainment in the form of a massacre. To win, you had to be that last one standing, and this is no different, is it?"

"You are quite the clever human, though I should have known already since you were the one to solve the riddle," the newcomer answered easily, picking up on the essential facts and strong emotions associated with them. "Indeed, you are not far from finishing the puzzle. The winning team must have all five golden arrows, yes, and you can steal them if you choose without causing fatal harm to the others, but you will still not have completed the sixth challenge that will ultimately end the game and designate you as victors."

"Merlin said there are only five," Robin said, shaking his head.

The man's eyes grew cold and angry. "Merlin lied at the elf's command."

"Then it is a fight to the death," murmured Katniss in demoralized shock.

"The most dangerous game, as it were," the newcomer finished with a pointed look as Hawkeye.

"I still don't believe you," said Hawkeye.

"Naturally you are wary of anything I say, but I entreat to you look upon the facts. Whose land did they bring you to, and under whose command was this challenge created?" the man asked. "An elf. And who leads the group of the other contestants?"

"An elf," answered Katniss grimly.

"Precisely," he said with a congratulatory nod.

"Hood," Hawkeye asked wearily. The earlier symptoms of disorientation were returning bit by bit. "You mentioned you saw the plans for this challenge?"

"Yes,…well, in a manner of speaking," the smaller man began. "In truth, I only caught a glimpse."

"And?"

"And the only part I remember was 'death should occur,'" he admitted a bit sheepishly. "I did not have as much time to look over the details for this challenge as the horse race, but I still believe Queen Susan would never allow this supposed sixth challenge."

"That could mean anything." Hawkeye muttered skeptically concerning Robin's evidence and ignoring his beliefs about the queen.

The man shook his head sadly, mustering up one last point of conviction. "For shame. Can you not see that I am truly attempting to save your lives? I mean you no ill will."

The last nagging thought popped into Hawkeye's mind. "Alright. Suppose your story does check out. What do you gain in return for this help?"

"I gain favor in your eyes," the man said frankly. "I cannot traverse to my world or any other with this staff alone. This world has a numbing effect on my powers. Sooner or later, the Chitauri will find me, and I have no desire to be here when they do. The only world I know they will hesitate to invade is Asgard. I know my brother will be returned there at the end of this game (that is, if you win). For the same reason you were not told the rules, they were kept in the dark. When they see you slaughtered here, I have full confidence they will try to stop the elf, but he has powerful magic on his side that diminishes any power your friends may have. You know the monster is tamed, and whether my brother knows it or not, he cannot wield his hammer for long. If I help you live, then you can thwart the plans of the elf and save your companions and my brother, proclaiming to him my deeds of good will."

"What happens if we do kill the other team?" Hawkeye asked, processing the information with difficulty. He was beginning to feel tired again. "I don't think Elrond or any of their companions will be amused when they see their favorites targeted."

"What limited magic I do have has concealed us since my appearance in this world," the man answered. "When you win the game and return to the city, we can surprise them. I have enough magic to culminate into one fatal blow to the wizard, leaving the elf devoid of any true magic. You can convince him to tell you where the rings are kept, and we can then return to our home worlds."

Seconds passed as the three contestants thought over what had been said.

"I still think you're lying," said Hawkeye. He rubbed the flat of his hand across his eyes.

"I don't," Katniss said, defending the newcomer. "Let's look at the facts. Elrond unfairly skewed the competition against the both of us when he made us ride that horse. I barely hit the targets, and you were almost killed by the other elf in the competition. Naturally he sees you as a threat and wanted to take you out. Legolas is the leader of the other team, and it's only logical Elrond told him about the altered rules in order to give them an unfair advantage. He obviously had the map's magic tainted to lure us here to our waste time while his team headed off to the last arrow. He even erased all signs they'd been here except for the footprint next to this rock. Maybe what Robin read really does support with what this man was telling us. Maybe the only way to win this game is to get those arrows and kill the other team before they kill us. Maybe they're already hunting us as we speak so they can steal the golden arrows from beside our dead bodies. Whatever it is we decide to do, we need to decide it now."

Robin Hood shook his head. "But…but _Susan_," he claimed. "She wouldn't agree to this."

"You cannot trust her," the newcomer countered. "You have heard, of course, how she ran away from her last lover?" He had overheard this last tidbit, concerning a Prince named Raba-something, from Bree who had been relating his tale to Trumpkin the day before during one of the boring periods where Legolas, Susan, and Merida were walking through yet another forest. "If you asked her, I promise you that she would not deny it."

At this, Robin began to brood. His mind told him that this man was right. He seemed so honest. Robin suddenly felt as though Susan had run from him as well, for hadn't she refused to spend time with him before all the competitions, spurning his advances? Why else would she have denied him unless she had a history of leaving poor men broken hearted in her wake?

"Hawkeye," Katniss insisted. "You said we had to put personal feelings aside. I don't know what this man did to you, but I think he's telling the truth on this one. I've seen this kind of sick game before, and I survived. Legolas already tried to kill you, Queen Susan is too perfect and must be putting on an act to fool us into thinking she's the gentlest person alive, and I've seen kids younger and tamer than Merida turn into cold-hearted killers when faced with life or death situations. They changed the rules, but thanks to this guy, now we know them. This is our chance. Trust me."

Hawkeye thought over what had been said, eyeing the man before him. Strangely, what they had said was beginning to make sense, even through the fog of fatigue. Merida was young and impressionable, and Susan could be a fraud. He could potentially have died while riding that blasted horse. Maybe…agh, if only he could think clearly!

"My apologies. I forgot to lift the curse Merlin put on this place earlier," the newcomer said remorsefully, noticing Hawkeye's grimace. He pointed to his staff. "Do you mind?"

No one objected (Hawkeye was too fatigued to truly protest), so the man took hold of it, aimed it to the sky, and released a bolt of blue. Immediately the color of the sky returned to normal, and every confusion and weariness not related to a physical injury lifted from Hawkeye. He felt normal once more—he could think, he could move without feeling sluggish. Gazing around, he quickly noticed the sharp signs the other team had left behind—footprints and crushed grass—which had been hidden from him before.

"Thanks," Hawkeye said.

The figure bowed politely.

"Alright. Fine," Hawkeye decided, convinced at last by the proof of their presence on the ground around him (why had it been hidden if everything was all above board and fair?). "I believe you. What now?"

"But _Susan_!" Robin Hood protested reflexively, doubt clearly gnawing at him. He still felt for her, even if she had abandoned him. Unrequited love, in his eyes, was not entirely hopeless. Maybe she could change and come to love him.

"She's a damsel with the wool pulled over her eyes," the dark-haired man murmured, shaking his head. "Ask about her last lover, and all will be made certain." A final ambiguous look passed over Robin Hood, but at last he agreed.

"Okay," Hawkeye said, nodding thoughtfully. "What's the plan now? We have two arrows, and obviously they have at least this one and the one from those 'Sea Islands'. Do you know where they're headed?"

"Even better," remarked the newcomer, grinning. "I can _show_ you. Give me your map."

The map was produced, and the man touched his glowing staff to it. Instantly, three green glowing dots appeared on the parchment in the middle of another forest moving towards the challenge entitled "The Hanging Island." The three contestants edged forward. After a moment, Hawkeye decided he might as well trust the man and finally returned his arrow to the quiver, disarming it first.

"As you can see, we are here with the three blue dots." The green and gold clad man motioned towards the icon depicting the box at which they had just shot. "The challenges that are illuminated with a golden arrow have been completed—this you have already discovered. I have reset the magic to this map to overcome Merlin's spells. As you can see, there is a golden arrow over this location now. Your opponents are the green glowing dots. To get to the final challenge, they have gone around this large bog, and have currently been marching for hours through the Impenetrable Forest. Follow this white trail, and it will lead you through the mire safely. If you hurry, you should reach the island before they do."

"Who's who?" Katniss asked, indicating the dots.

"I haven't the faintest," said the man, shrugging. "The map can only show you people's positions, not their names."

"Where's your dot?"

"I can't stay in this world much longer," the man said regretfully. "It takes too much magic to stay here. I will do what I can from the other side to conceal your movements."

"Right," Hawkeye confirmed. "Now we have a way of knowing where they are. When we get to the island, we can set up an ambush. I have a feeling Legolas will be doing most of the heaving lifting." He reached for the map, but the man pulled it back. Hawkeye looked up sharply. "Give me the map."

"Swear to me you'll put in a good word for me with my brother."

"I don't know why you don't just tell him yourself."

"I would tell him if I thought I could convince him I have changed." The man looked down at the ground. If she hadn't believed him before, Katniss certainly believed him now. Nobody could fake being that sincere.

"So you're gonna use my word instead."

The green eyes glanced up at him as he answered, gravely, "It would mean more if it came from you, yes."

"This is why I hate family matters," Hawkeye muttered.

"Do you swear?"

He hesitated, his eyes darting to the map once more. It worked. It worked, and they would win because of this.

"Yeah." The man still did not move to hand over the map. "I swear, I will put in a good word to Thor _if_ we win and get out of this h—l Elrond concocted."

"I suppose that will have to do," the newcomer said languidly, handing the map over. "Happy hunting." No sooner had he said the words than he had vanished away.

"Who was that anyway?" Robin Hood asked suddenly realizing the man had never introduced himself. The name Thor had jogged his memory.

Katniss and Hawkeye were busy studying the map. Hawkeye glanced up, scanning the empty woods. "That was Loki."

"The Norse god?" Robin Hood was somewhat familiar with the religion.

"The very one."

"Do you trust him?"

"Not really, but we don't have a choice. It looks like the other team is headed to the final arrow, and if the rules have changed, they'll be after us next. Come on." He set off in a fast jog toward the bog with Katniss on his heels. Robin Hood hesitated momentarily, but eventually ran off after them. At the very least, he would see Susan again and ask her about that lover (and why had there ever been another man in the first place).

Also why she had left him. He only hoped that it wouldn't be the last conversation either of them ever had.

* * *

_**What is Loki doing in Middle Earth? Is he being truthful for once, or is this merely another of his deplorable lies? And what in the world is happening back in Rivendell (a question was given last week to create more suspense but will instead be answered next week)?**_

_**Find the answers to all this and more in next week's installment of CALLING ALL CONTESTANTS.**_


	12. Changing the Rules

******Disclaimer: ****None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. All of them. **

**Waves/N: **It has been a pleasure working with Loki, albeit a great challenge as he is a character who has wheels within wheels within wheels. In short, yes I do like him. Now will I write him as good or evil? Well, that is a bit more complex, and I hope that shows through in the section below and in later chapters. I have done a fair amount of research into his character from both the film and comic book versions in an attempt for his character seen here to mesh more smoothly, but I make no promises that he will go one way or another. While this is a fanfiction where characters inevitably stray from their origin, we do try to keep them on their respective paths. As a final note, KC IS AN AWESOME CO-AUTHOR!

**Caspian/N: **Aw…Waves, you make me blush. Good job to everyone who ventured a guess about Loki. Thank you so veryvery much to all you lovely people who take time out of your busy schedules to read AND leave thoughtful reviews that encourage us in the extreme (thank you, **WolfGirl**, for your anonymous review!). We would be lost without you.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Changing the Rules  
**

The sun had barely risen in Rivendell—the pink fingers of dawn were slowly stretching across the sky under which the sleeping valley lay. Birds chirped merrily among the trees, rocks, and vines within and around the city. Water gushed into the valley, swirling around in eternally changing patterns of frothy foam that tempted any passerby to dive in and enjoy its coolness. The wind blew playfully against the leaves, rustling them in a unique song of their own while caressing the worn stone that made up the hidden city.

Bree inhaled deeply as the wind tickled the whiskers on his soft muzzle. He didn't particularly enjoy the height of the Viewing Pavilion, but he didn't want to miss watching Queen Susan in the third challenge. He was very dedicated to doing exactly what the hobbits had brought him here for, and no fear of heights, number of stairs, or challenging doors (most of which had built with horses in mind) would prevent him from cheering on his queen. The day before, his mane had stood on end when Legolas, Queen Susan, and Merida had battled through "The Perilous Islands," and he had been quite relieved that his lady had made it through alive and mostly well.

While he would have much preferred talking to another horse, such as the lady Hwin (a fellow Narnian Horse back home), the grumpy dwarf, Trumpkin was a far better companion than any of the others who were present at the competition. It wasn't so much that Bree disliked Gimli, but he had a distinct feeling the Middle Earth dwarf was uncomfortable around horses, especially talking ones. Being a Narnian dwarf, Trumpkin was the only one present (except her gracious majesty) who understood how to properly treat a talking horse.

A voice startled him out of his reverie—one that belonged to neither dwarf.

"Did you sleep well?"

Bree whinnied in surprise and jerked his head around rather suddenly. His astonishment left him as soon as he saw it was the human male, Captain Rogers.

"I apologize for startling you," the man continued, stepping back to allow Bree plenty of room.

"Not at all," Bree said cordially, amending his previous thought. This human knew how to treat a talking horse with respect, even if his friend (that miserable Hawkeye) was an absolute fiend. "I slept quite well and had a pleasant roll in the dewy grass. Rolling (an entirely respectable practice for Talking Horses, I can assure you) is wholly refreshing and invigorates the body for the new day."

The blond human smiled, saluting Bree with his hot cup of coffee. "I'll take your word on that. Personally, I prefer to wake up with this."

The horse snorted. "You humans really don't know what you are missing out on."

"I suppose not." Rogers walked over to the edge of the pavilion, leaning against one of the pillars and enjoying the view. "Where's your dwarf friend—Trumpkin, right?"

"You are quite correct," Bree answered, again rather impressed with this human. He was nice enough to be a Narnian himself. "Trumpkin was still asleep when I went out to eat breakfast—to graze breakfast, I should say. Lovely grass in these parts. So lush and fresh…You didn't see him at the breakfast table?"

"No," Rogers said, glancing back at the horse. "He might be there now with the rest of them. I left the mess hall just as Merlin was waking the others. They should be here soon."

Bree snorted. "I rather wish they'd stay in bed all day."

"Stark can be a little annoying," Rogers agreed, "and the debate about magic versus science did get a bit out of hand."

Said debate had been a lengthy discussion involving Stark, Thor, Banner, Much, and Merlin which had almost come to blows but was fortunately ended when their attention was diverted to the screens once more by Hawkeye, Robin, and Katniss's encounter with the dragon Guams. We can, perhaps, cut the spectators a little slack. Because the vast majority of the competition involved walking from one challenge to another, there were long segments of time during which nothing particularly eventful happened. Normally, Elrond would have afforded entertainment in the form of classical Elven prose, song, and poetry, but being nearly the only elf left in the ancient city (most everyone had gone on to the Undying Lands in the West), he was unable to offer proper Elven hospitality. Thus the companions had to resort to whatever they could conjure up that would distract them from boredom, such as a debate—something Stark found quite diverting indeed, as it provided plenty of opportunities for his jocular (as he deemed it) sarcasm.

"Too true," Bree said huffily. "I was tempted to kick the lot of them off this pavilion."

"I wouldn't have objected," laughed Rogers. A sudden sigh escaped his lips. "This view is beautiful. I almost wish I could stay. It's not like I'm in the right timeline back home anyway."

Knowing nothing about what the man was saying, Bree simply nodded good-naturedly. "I must admit, the view is stunning, though I confess that I much prefer to watch the light of the sun's rays dancing across the green slopes and grassy hills of my homeland," the horse replied wistfully. "Sweet Narnia!"

"Yo, Poster Boy! Seabiscuit," Stark called out loudly, shattering the morning calm as he sauntered through the door. Bree's ears flattened, but Rogers took the name calling stoically.

"Good morning to you too, Stark," Rogers answered him with a thin smile. Along with Stark came the rest of the companions (Banner, Thor, Natasha, Gimli, Trumpkin, Much, and a sober Haymitch. Angus remained in the stables). "I see you brought the gang."

Stark twisted around. "I prefer to think of us as the traveling circus. I just need to convince Natasha to grow a beard."

"Anything happened since you got here?" Natasha asked, pushing past the childish man and heading for the view screens.

"I didn't look," Rogers said, stepping from between the pillars and back into the central room. He found a chair and sat down before continuing. "I was admiring the view."

"The time hasn't been fixed," she said, frowning as she used her fingers to pull up the best displays for observing Katniss, Robin, and Hawkeye.

The previous night, the companions and Elrond had discovered there was a time difference between Rivendell and the competition arena. The competitors were about an hour ahead. Merlin claimed he hadn't realized it when he was creating the arena-world and swore he would fix it that night so that by morning, the time in the arena would coincide with theirs. As a result, the companions had slept in, under the assumption that all would be returned to its proper order by dawn. Natasha cursed silently. She shouldn't have been so sure the kid would really get it done. He constantly looked taxed beyond all measure and tired on top of that.

"What seems to be the trouble?" Elrond inquired as he entered the Viewing Pavilion.

"Merlin didn't fix the time difference," Natasha replied in annoyance, "and I can't find Hawkeye's team."

The elf lord frowned, surveying the magical center that allowed them to view the competition. "I have not seen Merlin since early this morning."

"Neither have I," Rogers added, thinking back to when he had caught a glimpse of the boy running off to do who knows what. "The last time I saw him, he had just finished waking up you lot."

Elrond's frown deepened. He felt a strange presence around them but could not place it. His keen eyes swept around the pavilion, but he could not determine what was setting him ill at ease.

* * *

Meanwhile, the strange presence (one Loki of Asgard) surveyed the competition's audience, savoring the moment before his big reveal whilst still hovering in the shadows nearest the entrance. The double layer of columns surrounding the viewing area provided enough cover for him to remain unnoticed. He had yet to visit Hawkeye's team within the game, as that was the second step in the plan. The first was to distract those viewing the competition lest they disturb his carefully crafted changes to the rules. He couldn't risk them correcting his tampering before he convinced Hawkeye's team. Once Elrond and Merlin were distracted and he entered the virtual world, nothing could stop him. Not this time. No matter how the events played out, he was guaranteed to win one way or another.

"What the h—l are they doing _there_?" Natasha exclaimed when she finally located Hawkeye's team. The rest of the Avengers leaned or seated themselves round the table in to take a closer look. Even those in support of Susan's team looked on (their three competitors were making their way through the Impenetrable Forest, as they would likely do for several more hours).

"Huh. I guess they don't know Blondie's team already got that arrow," Stark remarked. (_"Such deductive abilities,"_ Loki thought acerbically.)

"Why didn't their map tell them the arrow was gone?" came another question, from Rogers this time. "They should be going after the last arrow in the center of the arena like the others, not wasting their time at the riddle box."

"If they wanted excitement but no payola, they should have at gone to the Super Smash Brothers' islands of doom," Stark mused. "I'm all for mental stimulation, but solving the riddle is not _that_ entertaining. Besides, does their combined IQ even pass one hundred?"

"This is serious, Stark," Natasha snapped. "And I don't like it."

The confusion (and, quite frankly, suspicion) in the room was almost tangible. The Asgardian smiled, raked his fingers through his hair, and took a deep breath.

Showtime.

"Then why don't we change the rules," he suggested, stepping out assertively from the shadows to greet the ten pairs of eyes that were suddenly riveted on him (there would have more, but the hobbits were off somewhere, Queen Arwen was spending her time in a different part of the city, and Merlin, Gaius, and Beorn were nowhere to be found). He withdrew his arms from where they had been concealed beneath his robes; Thor's (and the other Avengers') eyes widened in horror at the sight of the glowing staff now revealed in the Asgardian's hands.

"Brother!" Thor exclaimed, just as Rogers cried, "Loki! What are _you_ doing here?!"

The captain straightened from where he had been hunched over the table watching the puzzling predicament while trying to formulate a plan so that he could be strategically on the offensive. He took several steps forward and smacked into an invisible wall that sent an unpleasant shock rippling across his chest. Rogers grunted in surprise and pain, his arms flailing as he briefly lost his balance. Those standing took an involuntary step out of his way, but Natasha was kind enough to steady him.

Loki chuckled. "Mind the shield. It encircles the entire pavilion."

"I say again, how did you happen upon on this world?" Thor asked, staring in disbelief at his brother in full regalia, complete with horned headdress. The last time he had seen his brother was in Asgard, unarmed and imprisoned. Since his arrival in Rivendell, Thor had entirely forgotten about his brother, the last person he expected to see here.

"Who is this individual?" Elrond demanded. He looked around for Beorn but did not see him anywhere. A darkness clung to the new arrival, a darkness he could feel as much as see. This man was filled with deceit and malevolence. It was as if he was waiting to pounce upon even the slightest bit of trust in order to further his self-empowerment and craving for superiority.

Stark waved his hand dismissively. "Just some pain in our a**."

"Have a care how you address him, Stark," Thor warned. "No matter what he has done, he's still my brother."

"And you already admitted he was adopted," Stark argued dryly. "Meaning you've already admitted he's not actually your brother. Meaning, I can call him whatever I want. Meaning he's a pain in our a**."

"Enough with your everlasting bickering," Loki said in a mock weary tone with a shake of his head as if addressing small children. His gaze switched to Elrond. "In answer to your question, my lord, I am Loki."

"Also known as the Norse god of mischief, lies and trickery, son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and, according to myth, a general womanizer like most gods (no offense Thor, and no, Stark, I wasn't talking about you)," Banner elaborated. "He orchestrated an alien invasion on Earth that we managed to stop just in time. Still caused quite the riot though, and he kind of broke the part of New York I hadn't gotten to yet."

"In short," Stark finished, "a pain-"

"Yeah. We get it," interrupted Natasha.

"For what purpose have you come here?" Elrond inquired as he stood and paced around the room as closely to the shield as he dared. The others had automatically withdrawn to stand closer to the table. Each one peered at Loki with hostility. Even if they couldn't verbalize why, they all felt an imminent threat.

"Do you like to win?" Loki asked the elf lord.

Elrond's frown deepened. "I fail to see how that is relevant to your presence here."

"Oh no," Loki disagreed. "It is not you who have failed to see—it's all of you." The motion of Loki's staff indicated that he was referring to all of the ensnared companions.

"Dude," Stark said while rolling his eyes. "Skip the drama and tell us all the doom and gloom already. For crying out loud, we're not interested in playing 'Twenty Questions' and listening to the monologues that follow."

Loki ceased his pacing and stared at Stark. "He's a fraud." The staff hummed slightly as it rose to point at Elrond.

The stunned silence lasted a good several seconds before Stark burst out laughing and Gimli growled in anger.

"How dare you insult Elrond, Half-Elven, Lord of the Last Homely House east of the Misty Mountains and friend of the Dwarves!" Gimli protested furiously, his axe (which he had with him at all times) raised. Forgetting, or rather not heeding Loki's mention of the shield, Gimli's axe shattered on impact with the dome of energy sending small clumps of electrically charged metal flying everywhere while the dwarf landed solidly on his back with a loud whoosh of air.

"I did warn you about that," Loki remarked, raising his eyebrow, "just as I came to warn you of his treachery."

This time, silence did not prevail, but rather chaos broke loose as most of the companions decided to voice their opinions all at once (a sample of which has been accumulated below).

"By the Lion's Mane, steady on with the accusations there chap!"

"BS, Reindeer Games."

"This is madness, brother!"

"Donkeys and doorknobs, I wish I were in Narnia again."

"Alright, everyone just needs to calm down."

"What the bloody h—l is he talking about? Is Robin in danger?"

"I think I'm gonna take a nap now. Let me know when you guys are done."

"You're a li'l behind with the lates' Capitol fashion!"

"What's really your plan this time, Loki?"

"Come here, you scurrrvy dog, and I'll show you how a dwarf treats his enemy."

This would have continued for quite some time, but for Elrond, whose voice seemed to fill the entire area and drown out all of the other voices while never seeming to raise it.

"Enough."

Once everyone had quieted down, he addressed them calmly.

"I appreciate your efforts to defend my honor, Gimli son of Gloin," he began, "but if this newcomer is to accuse me, I would like to hear the details of the charges and argue my case in a continuous and unaided fashion." The others seemed in agreement, grudgingly so for some, and remained quiet.

Loki began his pacing once more. "He claims to have brought you here, against your will as it happens, to witness a competition between many different races and worlds, a competition he claims is a fair test to all of them."

"So what he brought us to Neverland without our consent," Stark said, shaking his head. "No harm, no foul."

"Oh, he's as foul as it gets, and means to cause you much harm," Loki refuted. "He walks around with his head held high, proclaiming everything he has done has been for your protection and in fairness to the contestants, but in secret he has ensured his kindred will win this competition while you can do nothing to stop him."

"How is this so?" Elrond inquired softly with more curiosity than anger.

"He has dulled your power, Odin's son—has tamed the beast, stripped all of you Earthlings of your weapons, summoned a man back from the dead where he was at peace with his beloved, ensured that two of the more favored competitors were forced to ride a talking horse that was sure to cause conflict, reminded a stricken young woman of a nightmarish past event, brought an even younger girl to a dangerous competition, and to top it off, he doesn't even have magic! He uses a boy to do his bidding while hiding behind the guise of innocence."

Loki's voice had increased in intensity during his tirade, and he stood still now, his chest heaving slightly with the exertion of his passionate speech. Gimli grumbled something unpleasant under his breath, and the Avengers looked unconvinced, but the others began to have doubts, their faces knotted as they mulled over the words.

"Why would he do all this?" Rogers asked. "What does he have to gain? It's just a game."

"Just a game, Captain?" Loki laughed, facing each person that he addressed. His expression was grim and honest. "There is never such a thing as just a game. His actions are to further his own race's superiority over you. There are other worlds beyond his own, and this is how he has chosen to show us that his realm is strong. You cannot deny he sets you at ill, Captain Rogers, how he reminds you of a certain Hydra leader. Yes, I've seen the file.

"As for you, Stark, you are powerless here without your precious Iron Man suit and fancy technology, and you Banner. You can do nothing but sit there. No amount of anger will transform you into the beast that could save your friends. You, dear Natasha. I know your feelings for Barton, and you know that his actions while upon the horse, Bree, were not of himself. He is beyond my control, and I have not come within a hundred meters of him. Another type of magic addled his mind while the elf tried to assassinate him.

"Thor," he turned finally to his brother, eyes blazing. "I swear to you that I am telling the truth. Trust me, brother. I have seen the light. You will have no more games from me."

Thor swallowed. There was sincerity in those eyes, and admittedly this was something he'd longed to hear his brother say ever since things had gone wrong. Frowning, he turned to the elf and asked, "What have you to say in your defense, Lord Elrond?"

The elf solemnly gazed around him, catching every eye before addressing them. "I would have you look upon what has been presented by this man, compare it to whatever actions you have seen me commit, and make your decision accordingly."

Several minutes passed while those gathered contemplated the information, none of which were they entirely certain about. Nagging doubts peppered them all.

"Well I think that's all a pile of crap," Banner said frankly.

"Yeah," Stark continued. "I'm still trying to understand why you have us all trapped in an energy field while attempting to convince us Tinkerbell's cousin over there is actually a Nazi."

"I wanted to say my piece without any bodily harm," Loki explained with a rueful grin. "I knew the news wouldn't go over well with most of you. I likely could not have said one work before being pummeled with a hammer."

"Is this true, brother?" Thor asked, his tortured gaze studying the dark haired figure before him.

"Of course it isn't," Natahsa answered before Loki could. "You don't play the player, Loki. I thought you would have learned the first time."

Loki's expression remained sincere a moment longer before he burst into amused laughter.

"You should have seen you faces," he said, his appearance no longer conveying sadness nor honesty but malicious intent. "They've seen nothing but trustworthiness from the elf and yet they still doubted. Even you so called Avengers couldn't help but disbelieve him, if only for just a moment."

"Clearly this is all just a game to you," Rogers said. "So why are you here? Why the lies?"

"Why? I've but come to entertain you," said Loki slowly with a broad smile. At this, Elrond arose from his chair to confront the man. Something was about to go terribly wrong. "This competition is dull—you have said as much already. You want more of a thrill, Stark? Then a thrill is what I shall bring you. The lies were just to prove a point."

"We don't like your kind of thrill," Natasha stated flatly, wishing she had one of her pistols, a knife, _something_. "And what point are your lies supposed to prove?"

"Patience."

"What's the plan?" asked Rogers, eyeing Loki darkly, hoping the Asgardian would be a bit more forthcoming. Rogers and Elrond stood next to each other now. "What type of thrill have you cooked up for us this time? Was world domination not enough or was it a little too much for you to handle?"

Loki began to walk slowly around them again, a grinning wolf circling his prey. "Oh it's quite simple, really. I don't want this world. Not yet at least. I want to watch you squirm in anguish like the insects you are as you watch your companions murder each other of their own free will. My staff will not touch them, nor does it need to.

"I have already changed the rules to your precious game. All I have left to do is persuade them—" (he pointed to the contestants) "—to slaughter each other as the final challenge that you—" (he pointed to Elrond) "—forged in secret. Something I doubt will be that difficult after seeing your reactions. Yes, a fight to the death— the tried and true form of entertainment in your worlds. And when they die in there…" he smiled again, wickedly, "…they die for good."

"They'll never listen to you. Especially not Clint," argued Natasha, shaking her head. "You admitted it yourself, and I know you are responsible for his actions during the second challenge. Did you drug him? Never mind. It doesn't matter what you say or what kind of drugs you give him, he'll never believe a word of it. And he'll kill you before you can even get in range with your staff."

"On the contrary, my dear," Loki rebuffed. "Once someone has become a slave to me, they are always susceptible to my will. I lied about that earlier. Thanks to your help, kind Horse, and your competition, Master Elf, he and the others will fall to my wiles like sand through an hourglass just as their companions almost did."

"Why are you doing this?" Elrond demanded. Loki stopped in front of the elf. He had to look up slightly to meet his eyes.

"I am the god of trickery," began Loki simply. "It occurred to me I have not had a good laugh since I infiltrated the human' flying ship and watched as their monster nearly brought it out of the sky single handedly. I'm not the only one who is bored with this competition, and I intend to make things much more…exciting." He looked meaningfully at Stark before turning to leave. "Riddles are wonderfully diverting, but they do not get the blood pumping as fiercely as a fight to the death." He looked over at Haymitch, for he had heard the drunk man's mutterings and had some notion this would strike some sort of spark as his previous comment had.

He was right. Haymitch looked up at him with a furious gaze and swore violently. "You're turning this into a blood bath—no different from those—" and then he launched into a description of the people of the Capitol of his country (in addition to a few choice words about Loki) that is rather too obscene to include in this story. At this, half of the companions erupted in enraged protest while the other half tried to calm them down. It was one thing to besmirch the honor of Elrond by claiming he had rigged the game, it was entirely another to declare intentions of causing a massacre for mere entertainment. Chaos was spreading, and Bree was beginning to panic with the rest of them. And there certainly wasn't enough room in the pavilion for a fully grown, male horse to panic.

Thor was the only one who remained focused on Loki.

"Brother, you cannot win!" he shouted. "We will stop you—as we did last time."

He hefted his hammer and slammed it into the invisible wall, sending sparks spraying in all directions. Electrical cracks hung in midair, skittering around the companions. Thor swung his hammer again and again, half blind with fury. He could not allow his brother to convince those inside the arena to murder each other in cold blood all for his idea of a joke, his sick idea of a thrill. Thor paused, his chest heaving. His arms were beginning to tire. The realization hit him suddenly, and more anger (as well as a stab of fear) blossomed deep inside his chest.

"Getting tired, dear brother?" Loki asked with a mocking smile.

His arms felt heavy—Mjolnir, his hammer. He could not lift it.

"What have you _done_?" he bellowed in anguish.

"Oh I didn't lie about that. I have done nothing to diminish your power," the sly deceiver answered. "You can thank Lord Elrond and his young puppet Merlin for your weakness. Truly. Ask him about it; he can hardly deny it." Loki took a deep breath of the morning air. "I quite like it here, by the way. Unlike your strength, my power has increased exponentially, and I have no doubt the Chitauri will have an extraordinarily difficult time finding me here if indeed they ever do."

"No matter what you have done," Thor began, his voice hoarse with emotion (He mustered up enough strength to smash the shield with his hammer once more. It was slowly breaking), "No matter what you do, I will stop you. Unless you return to Asgard with me, the Chitauri _will_ find you some way or another."

"They won't find me today, Odin's son," Loki rejoined. "And I think you'll be much too busy to bother with me as well."

With that, he winked out of existence from outside the shield and reappeared inside it, standing triumphantly on the table behind Thor. Everyone stopped panicking, stopped moving, stopped breathing—their attention was focused entirely on Loki. Raising his staff, the Asgardian sent a bolt of pure blue energy into the still sitting Banner who cried out in pain and slumped to the ground groaning, his expanding skin beginning to ripple green; his muscles began to swell. Stark, Natasha, and Rogers swore.

"Enjoy the show." Loki flashed one last mischievous smile before he disappeared in a flash of light into the virtual competition Merlin had engineered at Elrond's request.

"NO!" Thor bellowed, banging at the shield with renewed energy.

"Fight it!" Natasha shouted at Banner as she crouched next to him. She motioned for the others to stay back. "You can control the Hulk, you've done it before."

"Can't…Different…this time," Banner ground out, partially in his normal voice and partially in a barely contained roar. "He's…coming…RAAAARRRGGHHH!"

The red haired spy backed away quickly. "Thor! You'd better have that shield down or we're all dead meat!"

With one final effort, Thor swung Mjolnir forward and shattered the shield in a brilliant shower of electrical sparks. Several flashed against Banner's green skin, and the energy accelerated his transformation. Previously, Banner had been able to control the Hulk during Chitauri invasion on earth, but this was not Earth, and while he had been in Rivendell, Banner's anger had subsided to his distant subconscious without him realizing its absence. Loki's blue bolt of energy had jarred that anger to the forefront of his mind, and Banner had no time to control The Other Guy as he emerged.

"RUN!" Rogers yelled, grabbing the nearest people and shoving them toward the door.

A terrible thunder erupted from the Hulk as he stood at his full height. Cursing all around could be heard as the companions made a mad scramble for the door. Thor did not hesitate. He took a running jump, and charged the Hulk, hammer swinging forward with enough force to distract the emerald giant. Huge green fists smashed into him, sending the Norse god sliding across the pavilion and over the edge while his hammer skated in the opposite direction. He managed to catch hold of the pavement with one hand, desperately trying to heave himself up. The angry face appeared above him, the clenched hands prepared to smash into his and send him flailing into oblivion.

Suddenly, another roar erupted above him. The Hulk disappeared in a flash of green muscle and brown fur.

Beorn had arrived.

At least, Thor thought it was Beorn. As he strained to hold on, the god watched as the large man shifted into a gigantic bear. The thick brown hair and beard became thick brown fur—the thick arms and hands thick limbs and paws.

Jaws snapped, feet punched, claws scratched, and heads butted. The mass of flesh and fur were gone in an instant, plunging into the valley below. The sound of a massive splash came from underneath the pavilion area, followed by roars of pain and anger, but another sound had Thor redoubling his efforts to get back onto the pavilion. The impact of the Hulk and Beorn had compromised the stone viewing area. Large chunks were falling away from the bottom, and Thor could feel the stone giving way underneath him.

"Grab my hand!" ordered Rogers, suddenly appearing above him as another block of rock succumbed to gravity's pull. Thor eagerly grabbed at the outstretched lifeline, and the Soldier Out of Time pulled the Norse god to safety just in time. They lay gasping on the secure part of the pavilion while the other half dropped into the valley.

"My thanks," Thor said to Rogers, who nodded and replied, "Anytime."

"A little help over here when you two finish with the bromance!" Stark yelled.

In addition to activating the destructive tendencies of the Hulk, Loki had harvested some of the Mirkwood Spiders from the competition arena and sent them to Rivendell to wreak some havoc. When he disappeared into the arena, the spell holding them lifted, replaced by a command to kill anything that breathed and moved. When the companions and Elrond reached the next courtyard into the city, they found themselves surrounded by the large, hairy spiders. With what few weapons they had, the resilient bunch had managed to hold them off for the time being with rocks and a some broken table legs while sustaining some nonfatal causalities. Soon, however, they would be overrun.

As soon as Thor and Captain Rogers had reached the main group, loud words uttered in a foreign tongue rang like harsh gongs through the courtyard, and the spiders immediately froze in mid-motion, twitched, and shriveled into tight balls that emitted a thick smoke with a sharp odor. A coughing Merlin emerged out of the smog.

"Wha' happened?" he asked in disbelief as he surveyed the scene before him. His arms were held up in dismay at the mess that he was mostly likely going to have to clean up. Everyone was covered in spider webbing and blood, as well as stone dust from the collapsed pavilion.

"Where have you been?" Elrond inquired, a touch angrily (his home had just been attacked by a strange man of tremendous power who also intended to ruin the competition). He bent down to examine Much who had slid to the ground in shock. Murmured Elvish words and a hand placed to the trembling Englishman's forehead seemed to calm the little man.

"After I laid out breakfast and woke them, I came here to check on things with the competition," Merlin explained, tending to Bree by patting the talking horse on the neck soothingly. "I noticed the time was still off and went back to the medical courtyard where Gaius is—that's where I keep my book of spells. When I got there, Gaius was unconscious, and when I looked up, there was this man—Loki, he said. He pushed me against a wall and I passed out. I only just woke up."

"What is this? Kindergarten?" Stark asked, wiping his stained hands on his torn shirt. Merlin gave him an exasperated look.

"Let me rephrase that," the warlock said testily. "Loki threw me using some kind of _very_ strong magic. He slammed my head into the _very_ hard stone wall, and I passed out. When I woke up (with a _very_ bad headache), I heard pounding from one of the nearby doors. I opened it, and that Beorn fellow burst out, sprouting fur on his arms, headed in your direction. I assumed there was trouble and so came here directly after checking on Giaus who had just come around when I left."

"What happened?" Gaius asked, having just arrived with his medical case. He was staring at the chaotic scene before him in astonishment. He looked at Merlin as if the boy had somehow caused it.

"We'll fill you in later, Doc," Rogers answered, placing a hand on the older man's arm and directing him to Haymitch who had been stung by one of the spiders. Gaius opened his satchel and got to work.

Natasha swore. "How the h—l did Loki get here?"

"At the moment, that is not our primary problem," Elrond interrupted. He stood once more and addressed the others. "Merlin, we need to determine how our unexpected guest changed the rules. Fix them if you can."

Merlin nodded, and ran off to the magical orb glowing in the sky that still displayed the competitors. His eyes flashed gold so many times that it was as if his blue eyes had turned gold permanently. Strange words flowed from his mouth for several moments as his hands touched unseen elements of the powerful spell.

Two hobbits appeared in the doorway.

"Wha' happened 'ere?" Merry asked in incredulity.

"It looks like a bloody nightmare," Pippin agreed.

"Where have you been?" Elrond inquired, approaching the hobbits. "And why are you here?"

"It's not our fault this time!" Pippin blurted out. "_He_ stole them,"

"Stole what?" Rogers asked, figuring he knew the 'he' already.

"The rings," answered Merry. "The man in green stole the rings from us and locked us in a wardrobe."

"We only now just got out," Pippin elaborated.

"What does he want with them?" Stark queried.

"At the moment, that does not matter," Elrond said. He turned to address Merlin, who had just risen from fiddling with the magical orb. "What have you discovered?"

"Loki did tamper with the spells," Merlin said, licking his lips. "I tried to fix them…but... I-I can't."

Elrond dreaded asking the next question, but it was better to know at this point. "What did he change?"

"He changed the rule about needing all five arrows to win. I can't change that back," Merlin admitted. "He also changed the death rule—the one that lets people reappear here once they've died in the game. I managed to fix part of it, but only four people can die in the game and return here alive. After that, whoever dies in there dies for real. The only way they can leave the competition is for them to die (and reappear here) or get all five arrows back to one of the starting points. I couldn't change anything more than that. I can't send anyone in—the way is shut. He must have tampered with the spells shortly after I created the original rules."

"Can't we warn the contestants?"

Merlin shook his head. "No. The only way we might be able to communicate with them is if they're asleep."

"It's not even ten in the morning in there," Natasha stated flatly. "No one in there is going to sleep during the day—it could be hours before we can do anything, if they haven't killed each other yet."

"You think Loki can convince them?" Rogers asked the former Russian spy.

Her red locks bounced at her slight head shake. "I think Loki's good enough to sell it and clever enough to load his dice. You saw what he did here."

"Then we should all hope they manage to see the truth through all of his lies as you did," Elrond said regretfully. He gazed at the view screens and shook his head at the disaster his competition had become. "As of this moment, they are truly alone."

* * *

_**What could Loki want with the magic rings? Is an imminent fight to the death the only way out of the trap he has devised? And where in the world(s) are Susan, Legolas, and Merida?**_

_**Find out the answers to these questions and more in next Friday's installment of CALLING ALL CONTESTANTS.**_


	13. Ambush

**Disclaimer:** None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. **All of them.**

**A/N**: Hurrah, I've written something! And Waves was brilliant, as always. This story has turned into a monster (rather longer than we expected from our first brainstorming session) and we are both honored and delighted that you have decided to stick with us this whole time. Thank you. This isn't the "the end" speech, but I can't help but bubble over with gratitude each time I go to post the next chapter.

**WARNING:** Main character deaths. Sort of. This chapter is a tad bit more violent than the past few because of that. We've tried to keep it toned down, but I just thought I would warn you. Otherwise...

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Ambush**

As Robin Hood followed his two teammates through the forest at a rather hasty pace while dreamily wondering about Susan's former lover (and wondering why she had abandoned him as Loki had claimed), two other competitors were discussing the very same topic. They were, in fact, a certain queen and princess, and they were getting very tired of seeing nothing but trees.

"So," said Merida, frowning a little, "ya actually _agreed_ to marry 'im?"

"Yes, of course," Susan replied, flushing as she gently unsnagged her hair from the grasping branch of a tree. "In Narnia no maiden is forced to marry against her will. Of course, he turned out to be quite ungentlemanly indeed, and tried to hold me and my brother and all our attendants captive in his city."

"Ah," said Merida, wrinkling her nose. "So ya had to fight yer way out? I bet tha' was excitin'!"

She slipped on a wet splotch of loam and scraped her knee on a rough patch of bark protruding from a stump, grinding out some unpleasant words under her breath. The turquoise dress snagged on another tree and, with a growl, Merida ripped the pretty fabric free and stormed onward. She would be in rags before this competition was finished if they didn't make it out of this forest soon enough. The last challenge had been one thing—one of those painful riddle thingummies which her mother so enjoyed (but which she'd never got the hang of) but this forest, which stretched on and on and on as far as the eye could reach was about enough to drive her mad. The forest back home could be dark and dangerous in places, but the trees had room to breathe, and the wind could frisk in and around their majestic trunks with ease. Here, everything was so close and tight and pointy. The Impenetrable Forest most definitely lived up to its name.

Meanwhile, Susan was laughing—a light, merry laugh that brought Merida out of her melancholy rant. "Oh, goodness no! I would never try anything of the sort. Certainly not from Tashbaan. Instead, we devised a clever plan that allowed us to sneak down to our ship and set sail, and escape before my frightening suitor could discover we were gone. Of course," she frowned, stepping carefully over three slime covered toadstools and a pile of moldy leaves, "we returned to Narnia to find that he—my suitor—had come with an army to sweep through our northern lands and take me back one way or another, but that was the end of my part in the story. Edmund and Lucy led our people to war, not I."

Merida sighed, thinking how very unadventurous the practical queen sounded sometimes. One moment she was a perfect replica of her mother's former self and the other she was like her, open minded and confident. Then she shifted her attention to another thought. "Lucy. Is she yer sister?"

Nodding rapidly so that her long dark hair rippled over her shoulders, Susan smiled. "Yes—younger sister. She isn't but a few years older than you—and rather like-minded as well, I should think. I can never get her to care dreadfully about tearing her dresses or keeping from dirtying things or going about on horseback all the time. She's a fair archer as well, but even better at throwing knives."

"What does she look like?" Merida asked, grinning at the thought of Susan scolding a younger sister—almost as if she was the girl's mother.

Susan lifted her skirts to an appropriate height in order to step over a log and said, "Long golden hair that she usually braids back or gets tangled with leaves. More often than not, I see the latter. Small, but a bit gangly—not as bad now as she used to be. She has a turned up nose, like you, and freckles in the summertime…" her voice trailed off, and a hint of something very somber indeed clouded her clear eyes.

"You miss her, don't you?" asked Merida quietly, missing her own troublesome triplet bothers now that she thought about it. They were always up to trouble, but it was the spontaneous moments that made her days full of life.

Susan nodded. "Rare indeed are the times when I am distant from my fair brothers and my sister for more than a day or two. And now, in this strange place…" she shrugged and kept on forward, leaving Merida to consider the fact that at least she had Angus, and Susan only had a horse and a dwarf, neither of which she knew very well. Merida let out a sigh as she thought of Angus. She sorely wished he were here right now and that the forest would magically transform into her homeland so that she ride on his sturdy back and feel the wind through her hair.

"Do ya think you'll evar meet the perfect man to marry?" Merida asked abruptly, thinking back to the marriage debacle of that past summer.

"I'm not sure," Susan answered after a moment's pause. "I suppose there may be a man out there for me. I haven't really given it too much thought. Have you?"

Merida shook her head vigorously. "Ah don't want to get married. I don' even think there is a man out there for me."

Susan laughed again. "Perhaps so and perhaps not. We shall both have to wait and see."

There was a sound ahead through the trees like a light footed deer racing nimbly through the compacted trees, and then there was a flash of silvery-gold hair as the third member of their group appeared, returning from doing a little reconnaissance. He had ventured ahead some time ago, first to scout the path and second to let the damsels chat between privately. The elf had no desire to talk of love, siblings, or dresses.

"Legolas!" Susan exclaimed, her voice heavy with relief. "I was beginning to fear we would not find you again."

What an awfully grownup thing to say, thought Merida. Why shouldn't he come back? He was obviously good at this sort of thing. He'd probably grown up in forests. But she said none of this aloud. Much as Susan annoyed her at times, she seemed to earnestly care about what happened to the Scottish princess, and Merida was not about to spit in the hand of friendship, especially after having found out Susan also believed one should marry for love.

"The forest clears less than a hundred yards to the north of our position," the elf was telling the queen, not a bit out of breath from his run. "And then—but you shall see. Come along!"

He plunged back into the undergrowth, lightly skipping over the tangle of branches, leaves, and fungus that littered the ground. Susan and Merida exchanged a somewhat weary glance, but doggedly marched after him. Very quickly, the trees and the forest floor began to thin, while the sky began to show up above. Soon there was grass instead of leaves and no more toadstools or slimy leaves. And then came the glorious moment when they came out of the woods and found a great, open plain before them—like a breath of fresh air after coming up out of a stifling quicksand experience. The two women reflexively took a deep breath, savoring the freshness of the wind on their faces and the pleasant warmth of the sun on their skin.

"There!" exclaimed Legolas, pointing toward a mountain that jutted up from the flat ground like a sloping tower. "It matches the position of our last challenge on the map—'the Ringed Isle'."

"What a curious name," Susan remarked. She hooked her bow on her shoulder as they walked and began twisting her long hair back into a braid. It was something she should have done before entering the forest and getting it tangled in every twig and piece of bark past which she brushed, but it hadn't seemed important until they were already well into the thick gathering of trees, and then there had been neither adequate time nor room for her to stretch back and fix her hair properly. She combed through her hair as she twisted the strands, picking out all manner of items from the silky tresses.

When she finished, the braid hung over her shoulder and reached almost to her hip. Her hair had grown long and lush in her years as a queen of Narnia. On her visit to Calormen, she had been informed by the illustrious Prince Rabadash that the women of his country often bathed in rich milks and yogurts to make fairer their skin and softer their hair, but after trying it once, out of curiosity, Susan had decided that nothing was nearly so good for her than a good swim in the Eastern Ocean, or a bath from the sweet water of the Great River. And while the tarkheenas of Tashbaan had dozens of servants to primp and pull and tease and comb their hair, Susan had no desire to follow their lead—though she had been offered help with her long, thick hair by several of the chambermaids back at the Cair. The only help she sometimes accepted, when the simple ivory comb Peter had brought her back from the islands was not sufficient, was that of Henna the badger, who was very good indeed at braiding in the old Narnian fashion (which she, as a badger, remembered).

The queen glanced at Merida once she had finished, eyeing the tangled, curly locks (and many forest artifacts) speculatively, but the red-haired princess crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, effectively saying, "Don't you dare" with the look in her eyes. While Merida liked the queen's outlook on marriage, she disagreed mightily with her opinion of how a lady to look and act. Shrugging mildly, Susan took hold of her bow again and continued after Legolas, while Merida wondered how the graceful Narnian had come through the forest without a scratch on her face nor a snag on her dress. Even her recently braided hair showed no signs of trauma from the forest's prying branches.

In about thirty minutes they were close enough to see that the mountain was, as the map had indicated, an island. The "ring" appeared to be a large moat or river that trailed all the way around the large land mass. This was no simple stream, however—it was about thirty yards across from bank to bank, and the dark, rushing water looked very uninviting to swimmers.

"No bridge, I expect?" Susan asked, sighing heavily. The last islands had been bad—who knew what this one held in store? She resigned herself to getting unpleasantly wet and cold.

"If there is one, it isn't on the map," Legolas replied, studying the parchment carefully.

"No wood for a raft, either," added Merida, looking about gloomily. "Except—I think there's more forest over there."

She gestured north, and when Susan looked, her mouth quite dropped open in amazement. The trees of the new forest were gigantic—tall, thick trunks of a silvery hue towered up out of the ground. Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Well. Perhaps we should have a look."

The walk to the giant trees took considerably less time than any of them had thought. Once among them, they decided it would be quite impossible to chop one down to create a raft or a bridge. The trunks were so large that even if all three archers stood with their arms stretched out around the trunk's edges, the spans of their arms combined was not enough to reach all the way around.

"I suppose we will have to swim," Susan ventured with a look of disgust on her face. Even Merida didn't like the look of the water.

Legolas, who was scanning the rushing, dark waters, shook his head. "I recognize the waters. A similar river runs in my homeland. If you so much as touch a drop, you will fall under a spell and be trapped in the realm of dreams for days."

Merida abruptly dropped the rock she had intended to skim across the surface.

The tree bark's pattern seemed almost intended to form foot and handholds, and Legolas, raised in the thick Mirkwood, a prince of the Wood-elves, had no trouble at all in finding his way up into the branches. Susan and Merida grew smaller and smaller as he climbed higher among the large, waxy leaves, and then he came out onto a large branch was at the same level as one of the cliffs on the island across the channel. And there, stretching up like silvery giants, stood a ring of the same giant trees on the cliff top. Legolas frowned, and then climbed down the tree as quickly as he could.

"Well?" Susan asked when he dropped onto the turf next to her. "Did you find anything?"

"There was no bridge that I could see," the elf replied. "No shallow end of the river with a rock pathway. The other shore is dotted with the same trees, and there are many cliffs, so that even if we did manage to come to that land, it would be hard going finding the arrow."

"I assume you have an idea, Master Elf?" Susan inquired politely.

"Since these Mallorn trees stand fairly close to the river, we can climb them and make our own bridge."

"How's that?" Merida asked curiously.

The elf grinned. "You will have to wait and see." He bent to retrieve a pack.

"Wait a second." said Merida, looking up from where she'd been standing by the base of the tree, carefully feeling of the bark. Then her eyes lit up and she said, "Rope!"

She turned to their packs, which were piled together beside the base of the tree. Quickly brushing past Legolas, she crouched down and began rummaging through them. "Here!" She drew out a bundle of thin gray cord that was soft to touch. "It's some special kind of rope—stronger than it looks."

"It's Lorien-rope," Legolas corrected her with an amused smile, taking the cord from her hands and undoing the knot quickly. It was longer than it had looked, all curled up in a bundle. The young lass was learning to be a clever little fox.

Susan was at a loss as to what they were planning. Making a rope bridge both strong enough and long enough would take too long, never mind the logistics behind fastening it to the other side. "What good will rope do us without a way across the river?"

"No, no," said Merida, taking out an arrow and beginning to knot one end of the thin rope to the shaft. "Not across—over."

She handed the arrow to Legolas and raised an eyebrow, as if challenging him to find her theory wrong. The elf smiled, a congratulatory gesture.

"Ah," Susan said abruptly. "The trunk. It's soft."

"But not too soft," Legolas continued. "If I can shoot this into the tree on the other side and secure it to a higher branch—"

"Then we can climb across faster 'n squirrels," Merida finished.

"Correct," the elf confirmed. "I have crossed a similar bridge in the fair Lothlórien, though perhaps a modified version would suit us better here."

They quickly put this plan into action. Legolas climbed as high as he could in the tree, tied the loose end of the cord to a thick branch, and then fired the arrow. The cord streamed out behind it like a silvery ribbon, and just when it looked as if it was going to be too short, the arrow bit deeply into the tree on the other side. The cord quivered once and then hung still. Retying the knot on their end in order to keep the line taught, Legolas tugged lightly to ensure the arrow would not come loose.

A cheer arose from the two girls on the ground. Legolas shouted, "I will go across first and secure the other end to the tree. The arrow will most likely only bear one person. When I reach the other side I will signal to you when it is safe to follow."

"That's a long way to climb!" Susan shouted. "And I don't fancy walking across like an acrobat."

Legolas shook his head. "I have another idea."

He took out the sack he'd brought up into the tree with him. It was made of a hearty material, and this he put over the top of the rope so that he could hold it with both hands and, hanging, slide under the rope to the other side. In our world, it would have been called a (very primitive, very dangerous) zip-line. This was why he'd shot the arrow at an angle, so that it would hit a tree on the island that was lower than where he stood in the branches of this tree. Instead of running lightly across the rope (as he had done before), Legolas had decided to utilize gravity. They would make another rope line when crossing back over after retrieving their third arrow.

Unfortunately, he did not know how he would slow down when he reached the other side, but he would figure something out.

Taking a deep breath, the elf gripped the edges of the fabric tightly and stepped off the branch. The rope held firmly, and he was sliding across at a breakneck speed, his hair streaming out behind him as if it was caught in a strong breeze (which, technically, it was). He dared not look back to see how far he had come, but the island loomed up before him, much larger than it had seemed from the branches of the silver tree. The elf gritted his teeth as he tried to imagine how hard he would land and how he should react. And then the moment was upon him—it seemed almost as if the rope was letting him go as he swung down toward the ground sharply, letting go before the tree had time to rear up in front of him.

He landed lightly, for the distance(but that was because he was an elf) and rolled to absorb the rest of the shock. The cord landed on the ground beside him a moment later, and as Legolas looked back with a concerned frown, wondering what had caused it to come loose or break, he heard the first of the screams.

0o0o0o0o0o0

They had been talking about Lucy—about how Lucy didn't much like her older siblings telling her what to do, how she loved horses and doing dangerous things such as this. Susan had watched the elf's descent with apprehension, voicing her concern of reaching the other side without harm, and Merida had assured her it wasn't as dangerous as it looked and that Lucy would have no trouble with it if she were here.

And then suddenly there was an arrow protruding from Merida's chest. The Scottish princess caught her breath and folded over until she fell to her knees and pitched backwards into the tree trunk.

Susan screamed—not because she had never seen anyone shot before, but from the unexpectedness of it, like a reflexive jump. And then a second time, louder and full of anguish from the horror of what had just occurred. For a moment it was her little sister, face drained of color, staggering back against the tree, bodice reddening as the blood seeped through. The girl fought for breath, but the arrow prevented her diaphragm from moving more than a few centimeters, her body convulsing slightly with the effort.

"Merida," the queen gasped, grabbing desperately her pale hand with one of her own. "What in the Lion's name…can you breathe?"

The girl's eyes roved about, but after a moment they focused on Susan's face. "Arrows… Do..don't let… 'em… get…tt-tthe… ar-r-r-ows."

"Them?" A droplet of water fell on Merida's fiery hair—a tear. Susan had not felt it fall. "No—don't talk, Merida. You'll be fine in a moment—just, just try to breathe, and, and all will be well. I promise." Susan stroked the curly hair from the girl's brow. Her face had turned ashen.

But as the Scottish princess gritted her teeth and moaned as she tasted blood, Susan glanced at the arrow sticking out like a fiendish dagger and knew that it had been very carefully aimed to kill. She swallowed and squeezed the girl's hand. "Not much longer now," She said, her voice choked with grief. Merida was shivering incessantly now from the effort of breathing and cold that had seeped into every fiber of her being. Pain was not an issue, Susan knew; it was the cold.

This was why she hated war. Why she preferred to stay behind at the castle while her brothers and sister rode off to defend their borders. She hated death—hated watching the light leave a person's eyes and the last breath rattle from their throats. She would not be the cause of such a horror, so instead, the one time she did ride to battle, she took her place in the back, where they soon dragged the wounded. It had been a nasty fight—particularly heavy in casualties. She walked among them, carrying water, tending wounds, applying tourniquets, washing the surgeons' lancets. Each death she took upon herself until it was as though she was marching under a heavy burden. She tried to remember each of their names, tried to keep count so that they would not rest in death forgotten, and her failure to do either almost drove her mad. Red shrouded everything, and too much light left the living.

Her brothers found her the next morning, wandering through the lines of corpses and weeping.

They forbade her after that from following them to war. She obeyed.

"Shh," she murmured comfortingly , wiping the tears from Merida's cheeks, wiping tears from her cheeks. "It's not long now."

She distinctly heard the sound of a bowstring tightening, but did not look up. No. Not yet—not until…

The girl gave a little sigh and relaxed in her arms, her eyes closed as if asleep. The struggle for each gasping breath was over. The fight against the creeping cold was done. It was finished.

Trembling, the queen crossed Merida's arms over her chest and stood with deliberate slowness. When she turned to face Katniss, a new arrow already ready on her string, and Robin Hood, who looked almost as pale as the princess, her jaw was set and her eyes were very cold.

"What have you done." It should have been a question, but it was more of the sort of thing your mother says when she finds out you've just broken the hand-made plate your father gave her for their first anniversary. Her tears had stopped; frigid anger had set in.

"The rules have changed," Katniss answered her as coldly as she could muster, a little taken aback by the ice in Susan's stare, but resolute, nonetheless. Katniss held her face impassive, yes, but the turmoil of emotion below was bubbling madly. A voice inside of her screamed in revulsion as what she had just done. It was the games. It was the games all over again. Katniss pushed the image of Rue out of her head (because Merida was nothing like Rue—this was something she had to believe). Survival of the fittest was the key. "Your elf-friend isn't going to get rid of us as easily as he thought."

"Legolas? He isn't out to get rid of you, he's—"

"The other one," Robin put in mildly. He looked only at Susan. She was the only one that mattered, right? Innocent people died every day, and Loki had said Merida and Legolas were not innocent. "Elrond. By the way, why did you abandon your last lover?"

Susan ignored the second part of this and said, "Lord Elrond? Why would he want to be rid of you? And what about this justifies your coldblooded murder of an innocent child?" Her voice had remained level, but the tension in her neck had slowly increased.

"Innocent?" Katniss scoffed, wishing desperately she could fully believe what she was saying. The words Loki had spoken had made everything clear and simple, but as soon as she had seen Merida's dying moments, doubt began to worm its way back and a cloud of confusion now prevailed. "Children are only innocent when people aren't trying to make murderers out of them. She would have killed me just as quickly, had she the chance. I've spared her—from a worse fate than you know."

"There isn't supposed to be any killing!" Susan shouted with an authority neither Robin nor Katniss knew she could command. She took a deep breath before continuing in a more rational voice. "I don't know what kind of crazy ideas you've got, Katniss—and how you managed to talk Robin, who I did think had better sense, into going along with it—but you are wrong about—what did you say? The rules changing? So why don't you just set down your bow, and I'll leave mine where it is by the tree, and we can discuss this like civilized people. No more bloodshed, Katniss. Just straightening things out."

Robin nodded quite agreeably to this (he figured Susan would need a fair amount of time to explain this whole lover affair), and Susan could have sworn that Katniss relaxed her death grip on the bow the tiniest bit.

Thoughts swirled around like a cyclone in Katniss's mind as she fought for control. Arguments from both sides bombarded her, and she felt her arms begin to shake under the tension. Images flashed rapidly through her mind, and Katniss could hear, smell, and see the 74th Hunger Games arena as clearly as if she were there. Everything was clear once more.

"No," said the girl, her grip stabilizing. "Your elf friend is probably hiding in one of those trees, ready to shoot us as soon as we let down our guard. I can't allow that."

"Legolas is on the island," Susan replied, taking a risk by revealing this information. She also took a small step forwards. "He went across on a rope not five minutes ago."

"That's where Hawkeye is going, too," Katniss snapped, feeling more relaxed. Without the threat of another archer, Susan would be an easy target. "To find him and bring him down—just like we'll bring down the other elf—and your friends—when we get all the arrows and return to that other place."

"So much killing," Susan murmured, shaking her head. "And why? For the arrows? Merlin told us clearly that you only need three arrows to win."

"We need all five," snarled Katniss. "And I'll take the two you have in your sack after I step over you dead body." (Robin gaped—_not Susan_. They weren't supposed to kill Susan!)

"There's no need to for that," Susan said in alarm. She tried to calm her voice again. "If they mean that much to you, I will give them to you gladly and peacefully. This is just a game."

"This is not a game!" snapped Katniss sharply, her voice having risen higher than intended. She swallowed and spoke in a more controlled and lower voice. "This is not just some game! We're not idiots, you know. We know your little secret. Your LIES!"

Susan jumped slightly in surprise at the last inflection, and Robin took a step away from the girl.

"Maybe we should all take a deep breath and put our weapons down," Susan suggested.

"No!" Katniss nearly shouted. "I'm not going to let you hunt me like an animal and-"

Suddenly, Robin gasped. Both the girls turned (from the incredibly tense situation) to look at where he pointed and saw that Merida's body had disappeared. There was only a slight sparkling in the air over the ground where she had lain.

Three things happened then. First, Susan took advantage of the distraction and dove for the pack with the arrows and her bow. However, Katniss was not distracted for very long, and an instant later stretched her bowstring to her cheek, took a moment to focus the aim that allowed her to bring squirrels down with one shot to the eye (every time), and fired.

That was the second thing. The third was that Robin decided simultaneously that it didn't matter so much about Susan's former lover, and that being dead hadn't been so bad the first time anyway. He dove forward—into the path of Katniss' arrow.

It pierced his side and left him gasping for breath. Susan let out a cry of fury and fired, half blindly, toward the other girl. She was not, even now, aiming to kill. But she was aiming to injure, and an arrow cutting into the skin just north of one's patella will certainly injure effectively. Indeed, the shot would have rendered Katniss unable to walk if the arrow had pierced the flesh and gone to the bone, but either out of Susan's desire to not maim Katniss or because Katniss had reflexively twisted to one side, the arrow had only grazed the flesh, deep enough to cause tremendous pain, but not enough to severe the tendon. Katniss let out a howl of pain and landed awkwardly on her side, cursing furiously. Robin glanced up at Susan, who was crying again, and murmured, "Go."

He was already turning into sparkles before she was completely on her feet, the pack with the two golden arrows slung over her shoulder and an arrow already nocked on her string. It did not cross her mind that she had Katniss at her mercy and could have killed her then and there. Instead, Queen Susan made haste to race deeper and deeper into the forest, pausing only to catch her breath and listen for the inevitable sound of somebody (who by now was cursing with every other word) following after.

She only hoped that Legolas would have more warning of the ambush that awaited him on the island than an arrow sped by death.

* * *

_**Oh no! Merida and Robin Hood are DEAD (...but are they REALLY?)? Is Susan going to be next? What exactly is waiting for Legolas on the Ringed Isle?**_

_**Find out the answers to these questions and more next Friday for the next epic chapter (at least, we hope it's epic) of CALLING ALL CONTESTANTS.**_


	14. Loyalties

**Disclaimer:** None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. **All of them.**

**A/N:** Well, everybody, this chapter is the result of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (and minds tortured by too much homework and studying and essays and…well, all that good stuff). As always, **Waves** is a genius and, at the risk of sounding prideful, I will even remark that I am remarkably satisfied and amazed at the amount of words (mostly good) I managed to crank out in one sitting. *brushes off shoulders* Yep. I'm so proud of my huge humility.

**WARNING:** This chapter is a little dark. Yes, I know we killed people in the last one. This one involves a very dark nightmare scene where we reference something that took place in the History of Middle Earth: the "creation" of Orcs. Waves did a great job at keeping it from being graphic, but just to warn you, it may be a little disturbing.

**Eavis**, I'm sorry about Loki. He refused to behave. If he doesn't promise to be good by the end of this story, I will go write a Thor fic where he does and where everything (sort of) ends happily ever after.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Loyalties**

With his jaw a grim line of determination, Legolas Thranduilion dragged himself the last few inches until he was resting atop the cliff, and there it was—the last golden arrow. His muscles were aching, his breath coming in short bursts. Normally the elf could endure great physical stress without becoming short of breath, but the shadow in the back of his mind had pressed his efforts to the near limit. This final challenge had consisted of many difficult obstacles and trick shots that had required intense concentration and effort. In short, the elf was in a great hurry, and the challenge had taxed even his extensive elven physical abilities.

He had heard the screams and noticed movement on the other bank, but some strange fog had floated between him and the other shore, obscuring his companions from view. The elven cord had snapped near the middle (or had possibly been severed by some sharp object), so there was no chance of using it to get back across to help the girls if need be. No, Legolas had decided grimly. There was naught to do but find the last golden arrow and finish this perilous game as soon as possible. Something about this competition had changed for the worse, and he had no desire to be caught by surprise.

Legolas stood shakily and started forward for the arrow resting on a crystalline pedestal in the center of the cliff, which jutted up from the mountain like a plateau. Waterfalls plummeted down one side, a cascade of rainbows and white foam that made the tree spattered rock face he'd climbed look like child's play.

Suddenly another arrow materialized from beyond the edge of the cliff, so suddenly that, had he not been blessed with an elf's speed and alertness, our hero might have met a tragic fate and turned into sparkles right then and there. Legolas was, however, able to spin out of the way, so that only a few strands of his silvery blond hair suffered any damage. He continued the diving motion until he made it behind a convenient rock that obscured him from the general direction of his attacker. The elf risked a look at the scene before him, peeking out cautiously from his cover.

A figure dressed in black leather flipped onto the flat plateau—and there was fury in Hawkeye's cold gaze. Deadly fury. For a moment, Legolas simply stared. While he was under no illusions concerning the man's feelings toward the elfkind, he would never have anticipated this sort of…savagery. In an instant he understood what was taking place on the shores across the water, and a fear began growing in his mind, a fear not for himself but for the women he had left behind on the other side of the river. Suddenly the elf sprang over the rock to confront the man directly.

"Stop!" he exclaimed as the man nocked an arrow on his string and drew back. "Why are you doing this?"

"Step back from the arrow, elf," Hawkeye snarled. "I know what you and your friends have been planning for us, and I know you intentionally tried to kill me. We know the truth now, and we're not going to let you get away with any of it."

"I didn't try to kill you," Legolas protested.

"A likely story."

He fired his arrow while he was speaking in attempt to distract the elf, but Legolas dived forwards out of its path and tried to drag the other man's bow away from him as he completed the roll. Hawkeye responded by elbowing him in the face. A brief scuffle followed, and it was a very close match, for Hawkeye was well trained in the martial arts, and Legolas had hundreds of years of experience in fighting any number of things in hand to hand combat. They broke off after a few minutes, both panting, arrows and bows cast aside as they circled each other in a fighter's crouch with bruises forming on faces, necks, and arms.

"Where are your friends?" Legolas asked, wiping blood from his lip (something he had never really had to do in previous battles because nothing had ever really punched his face like that until today). "And what have they done to Susan and Merida?"

Spitting out a broken tooth, Hawkeye grimaced and shook his head. "Hopefully stopped 'em and taken their arrows. We know about the real rules, you know. How you have to have all five to win. How very convenient your elf lord left out the part about us having to kill each other as the final challenge. Thought he'd keep only you three in on that little secret, did he?"

Legolas' expression was so convincingly startled that Hawkeye checked himself and hesitated. "He did tell you, right"

"I—" Legolas began, but suddenly the ground began to move under their feet—a quake that made the world tilt to one side and then the other and back again. Both the competitors stared in horror as the golden arrow rolled off the pedestal and toward the edge of the cliff. Hawkeye dove for it, but the quake had unbalanced him, and so abruptly that Legolas had barely enough time to grab a tree root before he tumbled off the cliff. As the elf looked back, he caught sight of Hawkeye as he had rolled off the edge—and the last golden arrow with him.

"No!" Legolas shouted as he released his anchor, plunging toward the edge as the cliff buckled again. There were hands gripping the cliff's rim, which was crumbling—Hawkeye fell…

…and Legolas was there, catching hold of his hands and dragging him upwards with as much strength as he could muster while fighting against the bucking surroundings.

"The arrow!" Hawkeye exclaimed, looking down to where the golden prize rested on a ledge. One more quake and it would be shaken loose of the cliff-side, and plummet down, down into the roiling water below. Legolas shook his head, the silvery blond hair emphasizing the motion.

"Leave it! It is not worth your life!"

He dragged the man upward until Hawkeye could get a grip on the side of the plateau and lift himself over the edge. The earth heaved upwards, and the last golden arrow fell, just as the man reached safety.

And then all was still.

Hawkeye sat at the edge, staring down in alarm as the slender shaft sent a little ripple spreading on the water's surface before it disappeared beneath the dark façade. Then he looked over at Legolas, who was still breathing hard but recovering quickly as he searched around for his bow.

"You saved my life," he said quietly. The elf looked up and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why would you have saved my life if you'd only wanted the arrow?" He asked the last question more to himself than the confused elf. Hawkeye shook his head as if to clear it from the tangles of doubt, wiping the palms of his hands over his face.

"Where did you hear about these new rules?" Legolas asked a little warily as he retrieved his bow. Hawkeye sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Taking this as a good sign, the elf slung his weapon over his shoulder and picked up Hawkeye's bow, handing it to the man as he explained.

"From Loki—an old enemy of mine. I should have known better than to trust him." He swore violently. "I should have known better. He was obviously lying. But I've never known him to tell us something if there isn't some truth behind it even if it is hidden behind a maze of lies. Natasha is better at figuring out these things. He probably did change the rules to the game so we do need all five arrows, and if that one is truly gold and that water is as deep as it appears to be…"

"You don't want to touch the water," the elf warned. "It will put you under a spell and make you sleep for days, that is, if you do not drown first."

Hawkeye swore again. "Thanks for the advice. Now I know why I decided to use your method of transportation over here… D—n you, Loki."

Legolas took a deep breath. "This Loki…he told you that you must kill me and my companions? For what purpose?"

"I have no idea. Probably spite. We have some…unresolved issues." Hawkeye's face drained of color. "Oh d—n. Katniss. She's been itching to kill someone all this time—thinks she's back in those Hunger Games or whatever they are. We gotta go. She'll kill Merida and Susan both if we don't get back in time to stop her, if she hasn't done so already."

"And Loki?" Legolas asked. "How are we to stop him?"

"Don't know," Hawkeye replied, frowning momentarily. "We'll think of something, but if we don't have all the arrows—"

Suddenly the ground shifted again, and in the commotion, something happened that proved one of the downfalls of the glitches that can occur when one has technological instead of purely traditional equipment: one of Hawkeye's exploding arrows that had been activated accidentally by their scuffle and subsequently lost in the bushes during the quake went off.

That is to say, a roaring filled the air around them, a searing heat stabbed at their lungs and eyes and skin. A blast with the strength of a cave troll knocked them both off balance, but inopportunely, it knocked Legolas right over the edge of the cliff. He scrabbled at the brink as he went over, could feel the ground trying to shake itself out from under his grasp. He saw Hawkeye peering over the edge hidden partially by the smoke and flying debris, but he was too far down—too far, and the ground was still moving.

"Stop Katniss!" Legolas shouted. His bow and quiver (wrenched free from the force of the explosion and further propelled from the aftershock) went hurtling past him into the rushing water below. "Find them and tell them the truth about this Loki's lies before someone else dies!"

Hawkeye was rapidly working to untwist the elven rope he'd brought with him, but it was too late. The earth crumpled out from Legolas' fingers, and with a little sigh of regret, he withdrew and fell to meet the dark waters, wondering if it would be a dark path or one filled with pleasant dreams he must now take to the Undying Lands. But putting fears of death aside, the elf gracefully twisted around into a diving position and hoped the water would be deep enough.

* * *

There was blackness all around him as he fell into the dark waters of the Ringed Isle. They swallowed him up and drew him under until he was drowning in their depths as he searched and found the fifth golden arrow. And then he was up—up into the sweet air once more, swimming fiercely for the shore before the darkness engulfed him, and then he was dragging himself onto the rocks and holding onto something slippery and slender. His quiver brushed against his leg, and he put the golden arrow in with the others and clutched it to his chest. His bow. Where was his bow? The elf shivered from his recent dunking in the cold waters. He would soon be asleep.

The blackness was closing in on him, like grasping fingers pulling the life from his eyes, sucking the air from his lungs. And then, abruptly, there was light. A green light, falling on him from the left. At first it seemed to be the light filtering through the trees of the Mirkwood on a quiet summer's day, but there was a dangerous hue to the color, and when Legolas blinked he saw that the source of the light was a man.

He was tall, with neat dark hair and a slender, pale face. His hands were artistic and smooth, and his long fingers were wrapped around a golden staff with a blue, glowing orb at one end. It was from his eyes and cloak that the green light was coming—they were glowing, ebbing a green inky luminescence that was as vivid as poison. When he reached the elf, he squatted down, placing a warm hand on the elf's brow. Legolas tensed at the contact, an instinct warning him this was a devious man, but he had no strength to resist.

"Greetings, Legolas," said Loki with a respectful little smile. "I am honored to finally meet you."

"You…" Legolas stirred his foggy mind with a teaspoon of memory and found the name he was looking for. "You're Loki."

The figure bowed his head (was that a hint of mockery in his movements?) and he smiled again. "At your service, dear prince."

Legolas smiled at this, coughing up a little of the enchanted water. "You seek to fool me with a pleasant demeanor and gentle words. It will not work. I have already spoken with Hawkeye, and I know you for the liar you are."

"Liar?" Loki's face twisted for a moment, and he stood as if he'd been struck. "Well—I suppose you could say that. But then, how anxious is Hawkeye to gain your trust? He still holds a grudge for the arrow that nearly killed him in the arena, and trust me, my friend, he does not easily forgive."

"He might when there is a greater evil at large," said the elf quietly, rolling over on his side in an attempt to rise. For some reason he was not dreaming as he should have been after the dunk in the river. Perhaps this was not the river like that of his homeland.

Loki paused, raised an eyebrow, put a hand to his chest. "Oh—you mean me? Here I come all this way to assist you—to inform you of the lies of your precious Master Elrond—and you spit on my goodwill. I expected better from you."

"Master Elrond would not lie," murmured Legolas, and then felt himself swaying on his knees once he had pushed himself off of the ground. His eyes were growing tired again. Maybe this was the enchanted River. But why had he not fallen asleep yet?

"You have not long to decide," said Loki quietly, watching him with those cat-like eyes. "The dark waters are filled with sleep, and you have already drunk much of their sweetness. I have held it at bay for a bit, but you will fall into dark dreams unless…" he leaned down and looked Legolas right in the eye, "Unless you join me. Convince Hawkeye and the others that I am for them, not against them. Convince them you have joined me and will not harm them, and then we will return to your world once the arrows have been gathered together and taken to your starting place, and together, we shall return to deal with the treachery of Master Elrond. Even he is not above lying to his own kind if it suits his own sick pleasure, and I assure you it does. If you help me, we can overpower him without bloodshed and then… No more killing. No more fighting. We will have peace."

"Why?" Legolas asked, seeking clarity and growing weary of the green light—why couldn't there be sunlight again? "Why would you do this? Why would you spread these lies? What have my people done to you?"

Sighing, Loki stood and turned aside. His face had lost its eerie charming quality, his voice was suddenly normal. "I will be honest with you, Legolas, because I need your help. I was not sure of your involvement earlier, but it seems as though he has mislead you as well."

Legolas gestured drunkenly for him to go on (though it was getting hard to hear). He bowed his head wearily. It was getting so hard to hold it up.

"In my own world, I am a criminal," Loki began. "In all others, I am hunted by creatures known as the Chitauri. We were once allies, but they believe I betrayed them, and so now they hunt me without ceasing."

"Did you betray them?"

"Astonishingly no," the god answered. "Their armies failed me." He looked up toward the sky (though all that was above them was blackness now) and added, "Even now, they search. I am not safe in this land, and only when I have returned to Asgard with my brother will I be free from their grasp."

"Why did you leave this Asgard?" Legolas wondered.

"I didn't leave!" Loki snapped, whirling. His eyes were filled with a fear that was very real indeed. "I was brought! By those little people who took my brother—by the command of the elf-lord who even now sits watching, wondering what to do about Loki who is ruining his little game. I know you cannot believe malice of him, but I ask you, is it a kind act to place so many people, to place women and _children_ in danger all for a competition to answer some foolish question about archery?"

"No," said Legolas quietly. "Perhaps it was not a kind act. But that still gives you no right to change —"

"I changed nothing!" Loki shouted, and then checked himself and amended, "That was a lie. My apologies. I did change a few items worth mentioning, but they were only to prove the futility of this game and the danger Lord Elrond has placed you in, and to convince you to help me end this so that I may return to my world."

"Where you will be imprisoned," Legolas reminded him.

In the moment of silence that followed, Loki's eyes dimmed and he looked down. "Better in prison than dead which is what I will be if we return from this game and let Elrond live so that he can kill me and the others, my own brother among them, for his own satisfaction."

Legolas was almost gone, the magic to keep him conscious nearly spent, but when Loki looked at him one last time, pleading with his eyes, begging for his friendship and help in ending things, ending the slaughter, he knew that even if this was the truth, he could not join this man.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. As the darkness swallowed him up, and the dreams began whirling around his head, he saw Loki's face twist into a look of derision and misery. The sharp point of Loki's scepter touched his chest, sending a blue fire rippling towards the elf's eyes. The last words he heard were, "Very well then. But do not forget that I gave you this chance. Sweet dreams."

Legolas did not feel himself fall, but he knew that he was lying on his side now because his eyes told him so. His vision was blurred now and distant with a dark tunnel all around him. Pain from the scepter's kiss sent spasms through his entire being, but he could not fight against it, nor could he block out the pain, for it had reached into the deepest recesses of his mind. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the receding booted feet of Loki.

* * *

He awoke with a start—tortured screams echoed in his ears, sending a shock wave of adrenaline coursing through every blood vessel of his being. He was in a dungeon of sorts, though where Legolas could not tell. A thin shaft of light barely illuminated the dank and cobwebbed corners of the room; it smelled of corruption, of terror, of death. More shrieks rent the air—the sounds of a sentient pushed to the brink of sanity, pushed right over the brink—and the elf cringed, clenching his teeth in agony as the horrible sounds seemed to grate on his every nerve fiber (he could feel them all, each neuron that brought sensation to his entire body, each axon seeming to fire at once). Legolas let out a groan, curling into a tight ball against the spasms that followed, the right side of his faced pressed into the grimy filth of the cold, stone floor. The pain threatened to drive him unconscious once more, but the elf refused to submit.

After a while, the spasms ceased. Legolas managed to straighten again, making it to his feet this time, his breath coming short and quick. He took a step forwards, but this left leg was suddenly jerked to a halt. Belatedly, the elf realized he was chained to the wall so that he could not reach the other end of his cell where the iron bars sealed the cell.

A third scream shredded the dank, cold air around him, but Legolas bore the pain better this time, refusing to be cowed back to his knees. His head ached fiercely and the meager light pierced through his eyes to his brain, but closing his eyes for a moment brought all the relief he required. Footsteps echoed down the hall along with the sound of something being dragged and the jangling of keys. The door creaked opened, and a crumpled bundle of rags (and something alive) was shoved inside, colliding with Legolas as a hearty shove from the shadowy guard helped the prisoner along its way.

By the time Legolas was able to untangle himself, the door was locked once more, and the guard was almost lost from sight. The figure moaned, and Legolas' stomach twisted at the pain, the fear, the tortured misery that one sound contained. He reached out a hand, but the individual cringed away with a hoarse cry.

"You have nothing to fear from me," Legolas assured his cell mate. "I am Legolas Thranduilion of the Woodland Realm."

The figure sought solitude in one of the wet corners as far from the light as possible. A choked sob was the only reply Legolas received.

"What is your name?"

A bloodied face turned towards him, but the features were obscured by the dark.

"I-I have forgotten," the voice managed in a barely audible whisper. The voice came from a male, but it had lost all deepness that came with maturity and was instead replaced with the resonance of a young boy.

"Forgotten?" Legolas asked aloud, frowning at the possibility. "What is this place?"

"I do not know," came the answer.

Legolas looked around the cell once more, searching for clues. He strained against his leash, trying to catch a better glimpse of what lay beyond the room but to no avail.

"It won't be long now," the small voice murmured. He began to rock back and forth. "Not long at all."

"Not long until what?"

"He took us from our merry vales and glens. He took us from our home."

An unsettling feeling came over Legolas as he slowly edged toward the figure.

"He brought us here and stole our joy, our laughter, our love for nature. Yes. He stole it all."

Legolas bent down to study his companion, carefully reaching out to turn the tortured face towards the light. The features became clear, and Legolas felt his darkest fear burst forth, choking back all good memories and the light of his people he always carried within.

"He is making us into monsters. I am all that is left." And indeed the face before him was barely recognizable, for some evil had mutilated all the features (which we will not discuss for decency's sake) and destroyed what was once a child of the stars—an elf. One of Legolas' kin.

"Who is?" Legolas asked, his own words barely above a whisper. He knew the answer, but he needed to be sure, to be absolutely certain of the darkness he feared was present.

"Melkor."

The name sent another wave of ripping fear through Legolas; his eyes widened with horror as the figure before him began to crawl toward him, one hand missing, another badly broken. The silvery blond hair had turned ashen grey. It was thinning in numerous patches and tangled everywhere else. Torn rags hung from the shrunken body, and the skin was deadly pale under the dirt and blood. Each pointed ear was ridden with holes, and Legolas did not know whether to pity or to fear the tortured elf before him.

"Yes," the elf whispered, stopping just before the shaft of light. The voice had changed to a harsh grating. "He took us and turned us all into what you see before you. I haven't much to lose now. Not long at all until I'm his. Morgoth Bauglir in all his glory has learned how to break the elves. You cannot resist him." The one good eye roved manically around the room, searching for something that was not there. "You break or you die. Not long now. Not long at all."

"You must fight it," Legolas said in a tone of urgency out of his own desperation to believe there was a way to repelling the evil that threatened to eviscerate his soul.

The mutilated elf shook his head sadly, retreating back into the darkness. The voice reverted back to its previous pitch. "No. No. Not long now. There is a part of us that struggles for life, and the only way to stay alive is to break. You cannot resist. Not long now. No. Not long at all. Break or die. There is no other way."

Legolas felt a rush of pity—Gandalf would have been proud—for the tortured figure before him, this thing that had once been (and still was?) his kin. He opened his mouth to speak, and then froze and blinked in surprise, for suddenly the scene before him faded and he found himself in another chamber.

The angry red fires that burned around the edges of each wall scorched the air. He was dangling from chains attached to both his wrist over a bottomless pit from which arose sulfurous fumes that choked his throat. Several sharp iron stakes and various instruments designed to cause pain were laid out neatly on a cracked, wooden table. Cold fear coursed through Legolas. It was this which had haunted his dreams—had haunted the dreams of every elf who heard of the dark deeds of Morgoth in the old days. Deforming the elves, and breeding from them the race of hideous Orcs.

A dark, tall figure stepped into the room. At first the features were dark and hard, resembling the powerful chiseled face of Morgoth Bauglir, but even as the elf trembled at the sight, the face blurred and morphed before his gaze. And it was not Morgoth who was smiling at him, innocently, mischievously.

Before him stood Loki.

"So, Legolas. We meet again," the god said with a chuckle, tapping his fingers against the blade of the nasty looking knife in his other hand. "Forgive me if I…frightened you. Are you quite comfortable?"

"I told you I would never join your cause," Legolas stated harshly. Now that it was Loki and not Melkor, his terror had subsided.

"Oh I understand your previous reluctance," Loki continued, his attention now fully on the vulnerable elf. "But I daresay you might want to reconsider now."

"Nothing you say or do will cause me to change my mind."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," argued Loki diffidently. "I must admit, when I touch someone with my scepter, they fall under a kind of trance and do my bidding, but I've never encountered your kind before. It seems you are resistant to my control, as I first suspected. However, since you took that little dip in the river, I now control your dreams."

"You can do no harm to me in the land of dreams," Legolas said, mustering as much conviction as he could.

"You have noticed where you are, yes?" Loki asked with a mocking smile. "If you are correct, this won't hurt at all." Like the swift strike of a snake, Loki threw the knife he had been toying with earlier, and its jagged edge sliced a long (but shallow) gash down the elf's side.

Legolas bit back a cry of pain, his eyes turned upwards as he tried to master the sensation.

"Of course I can't kill you," Loki continued as if oblivious to his sudden act of violence. "That would only wake you up, but this is much better. Here you are living your darkest fear. You can feel pain, but you will not die from it. What I propose is simple: You swear to abide by my every command without hesitation, and I will set you free of this place."

"I still refuse," Legolas said staunchly.

"Do you really want to endure the agony that turned your people into abominations?" Loki challenged softly. "You will long for death, but I promise you there will be no opportunity for you to receive it. By the time you awaken once more in the arena, you will no longer be an elf."

As Legolas shuddered, the god watched him speculatively, then added, "Pain is in the mind, Legolas. You cannot escape it here."

Mustering as much anger as he could, Legolas reaffirmed his choice once more. "I will not join you."

"Pity." The one word echoed in the elf's mind, the last reminder that Loki, not Morgoth Bauglir, had been standing before him. Once again, his worst fear had come alive.

The dark figure stood before him, a hot iron in his hand. The bright orange glow of the metal sent Legolas' pulse racing. He struggled against the chains, headless of the pain in his side as he tried desperately to find a means of escape.

Suddenly, Elven words spoken from above burst into the dark room like swords of white light sent to abolish the dark with sharp slashes. The peace and joy he had forgotten when once the dark dungeons of his dreams had entangled him in despair came rushing back, like a foamy, fresh torrent of hope. The chains that had held him broke, and the pit beneath him filled and became covered with soft grass. The evil before him had vanished from sight, replaced by Lord Elrond. Legolas stood amazed at the change, his mouth working to formulate any thought that would express his relief. Even the pain in his side had vanished.

"You are safe now, Legolas Thranduilion," Elrond reassured the younger elf.

Legolas took several deep breaths (some of them were almost like sobs) and then managed at last to speak. "I do not understand,"

"I have no time to explain," continued Elrond, holding up a hand to forestall any interruption. "Merlin can only maintain this communication for a short time."

Legolas nodded.

"Loki has indeed changed the rules of the game. There are now two ways you can end the competition. The first way is if all five arrows are returned to either of the two starting points." Elrond hesitated briefly. "The other is if everyone dies."

Legolas opened his mouth to protest, but another gesture from Elrond cut him off. "The latter is obviously not the preferred method. Originally, if any of you died in the arena, you would have been immediately transported back to Rivendell unharmed. Regrettably, Loki manipulated that magic as well. Merlin was able to recast the spell, but now only four individuals can die and be safely brought back. Any others will truly perish. Merida and Robin Hood have already died and returned to Rivendell. You must hurry if no one else is to suffer the same fate or worse."

"How will I reach the others in time?" Legolas asked. The image of Elrond was beginning to fade.

"I have arranged a means of transport," Elrond said, his voice growing distant. "Merlin can control very little magic while Loki possesses the staff. The only way to stop him is to take it. I must bid you farewell, Legolas Thranduilion. The spell is fading. Go with my blessing and that of all who are gathered here."

* * *

With a gasping breath, Legolas awoke, sitting half-crouched on the shore of the island, the sound of rushing water from the Enchanted River reassuring him that he was indeed back. The mist that has clouded the island was gone. Feeling his side, Legolas discovered there was no wound. The sky was a dusky grey, the hour late, but he was alive and unscathed. Picking up his quiver (and eyeing the golden arrow inside it), Legolas searched around for the transportation Lord Elrond had promised—a horse, no doubt. But then a cry far above him made the elf laugh in delight as his bow fell from the sky.

"An eagle is coming."

* * *

_**Will Legolas make it in time to stop Loki? Has Hawkeye caught up with Katniss and Susan (and managed to keep them from killing one another)? And will everyone make it home alive?**_

_**You know the routine. Tune in next Friday for the epic climax of CALLING ALL CONTESTANTS!**_


	15. The Last Battle

**Disclaimer: ****None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. ****All of them.**

**A/N**: Well. I hope you're ready for EPICness. Get the soundtrack playing in the background and fasten your seat-belts, ladies and gentlemen.

Tis time for the climax. Which, sadly, means that the next chapter will be the last one. Waves and I have had a glorious time on all this, but this is a monster of a story and we'll be glad to see it ended. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who kept reading and DOUBLE that to everyone who left a review! You are our inspirations. ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Last Battle**

Bright flora flashed past Susan as she entered yet another forest, stumbling a little, her breath coming hard and fast. As best she could tell, an angry Katniss was still following behind at a slower but steady gait. They had been playing a deadly game of cat and mouse for hours among the Mallorn trees, hiding behind boulders and the great, grey tree trunks. Susan had hoped Katniss would have seen reason with an arrow to the knee as the catalyst, but her theory shortly proved to be misguided. Katniss's anger seemed to only increase with the reception of her wound. The Narnian queen had been forced to bolt to this new wood when Katniss had discovered her near the border of the plain and the tall, strange trees.

The lowland between forests was considerably larger than the one she had traversed earlier that day, and it had posed a new challenge since Katniss had a clear field of view to target her prey, who found the knee-high grass woefully inadequate concealment. Susan had barely managed to dodge the handful of arrows Katniss had been kind enough to send her way. Fortunately, the one arrow that had nearly ended her life (but which instead grazed her arm) had been misaimed due to an unexpected earthquake that seemed to originate at the island. Susan had not had the time to wonder at the peculiar geological occurrence. Getting to the forest had been imperative for her survival.

Reaching this new wood, Susan vaguely recognized it as Lantern Waste, though this was hardly the time to reminisce over happy memories. She paused once more, ducking behind a tree trunk as she saw Katniss jogging progressively toward the forest a half mile back, her limp becoming more pronounced with each stride. As the queen took deep breaths, trying to regain her wind, a thought began to grow in her mind. Running all day would do nothing to solve the problem at hand, and now that she was both wounded and exhausted, Katniss might be willing to be more reasonable. Therefore, this was the time for making truces.

The Narnian queen traveled a little further into the woods until she came to a decently sized clearing. She had left a clear (but not too obvious) path for Katniss to follow, and ended the trail at the entrance to the glade. It would not do to take an arrow to the chest or eye before she tried to convince Katniss she had no intentions of killing her. Still, Susan nocked an arrow on her bowstring as a precaution. While she refused to deliberately kill the homicidal girl and preferred not to hurt Katniss again, even Susan recognized the grim truth that either possibility might yet become reality.

Several moments elapsed as the queen waited for Katniss. The sun had begun its descent nearly an hour ago, and for the first time since her companion's death, Susan was able to catch up with the events of the day. Grief threatened to overwhelm her. Merida had been so young, and while it is destined for some to die at such a tender age, Susan felt the Scottish princess had been cheated out of many decades of vibrant life. The girl's similarity to Lucy was doing nothing for the gentle queen's spirits. Her normally erect confidence crumpled under the weight of sorrow, and her shoulders curled towards each other as she fought back tears.

The moment passed when she heard branches brushing against one other as Katniss entered the clearing. Swallowing the knot of emotion that crowded her throat, Susan pushed aside the miserable thoughts and straightened once more to confront Merida (and Robin Hood's) killer.

Remaining behind her tree, she spoke loud enough for the sound to carry across the glade. "Katniss—this madness must stop. I cannot continue like this, and I know your leg won't last much longer."

As soon as she heard Susan's voice, the wounded girl stopped and ducked behind a nearby tree.

"Come out and face me like the honorable queen you claim to be!" Katniss shouted. Susan noticed that she herself was remaining mostly veiled behind the tree trunk while peering around it in search for her foe. Honorable indeed.

"I have no desire to harm you further," Susan called out with as much calm as she could muster. Her heart rate had increased again, a sound she was sure Katniss could hear. The situation was a delicate one, and she asked Aslan for the right words to say.

"I don't believe you," Katniss rejoined. "I can't." The last two words were spoken softly, but Susan heard them all the same.

"Come on, Katniss," said Susan quietly, trying with all her heart to keep the tension out of her tone and instead replace it with the soothing nature of a concerned mother. "You know it doesn't have to be like this."

An arrow impaled the tree beside her, and she heard Katniss growl, "Of course it doesn't. Because pretty little queens like you would never take part in a bloodbath just to win some title and remind us all of your supremacy. The rich and powerful have always had compassion for the poor. " Katniss swore violently. "Where the h***are you?"

So much for soothing tones.

The Narnian queen carefully took a few steps so as to take shelter behind another tree, making certain to stay out of Katniss's line of sight. So, Edmund, she thought, smiling grimly. All those years of practicing woodcraft have finally served their purpose (twice in one day, in fact).

"I don't want to kill you!" she said, projecting her voice to a tree opposite her actual position in the dell. Once, she and her brothers had been entertained by a visiting court storyteller who could project her voice so that the sound seemed to bounce off every column of the throne room, and Susan had always been cleverer at it than any of the others. She watched as an arrow took flight and stuck in the bark of the tree opposite her position. Then she saw Katniss step into view, looking in the other direction.

"How am I supposed to believe that?" the girl was shouting. There was a frantic edge to her voice, one that gave Susan a twinge of pity. Katniss was conflicted and that made her afraid, meaning she was both irrational and dangerous. "You killed Robin!"

Taking a deep breath and drawing her bow, Susan stepped out from behind the tree.

"No," she said clearly. "I didn't kill Robin, and I can tell you just as truly that I am not going to kill you."

All the same, she leveled the tip of the arrow at the dark-haired girl, who whirled around with a ready arrow on her string as well.

So be it, Susan thought grimly. A standoff.

"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe this because you're pointing an arrow at me?" Katniss asked bitterly. Her hand trembled, and Susan hoped Katniss was stronger than she looked, or else she would be abruptly releasing the bow's tension sooner than would be prudent.

"This arrow is because I am afraid of you, Katniss," the queen replied rationally. "You killed two people—one admittedly by accident—in the span of five minutes. Look around, Katniss! If what you believe is true, then _why haven't I killed you yet_? Why didn't I kill you instantly when I had the chance?"

Katniss's eyes were wide, and she was breathing heavily. Raw panic was beginning to take over. "You're waiting. Waiting until there's just the two of us, and then you'll kill me because you have to. I don't blame you for trying, but I'm not falling for that. I won the last game—for Prim, for Peeta—and I'm going to win this one too, but for me."

An idea popped into Susan's head. It was crazy, but it just might work.

"I am going to put down my bow before my arms fall off," Susan said evenly, easing the pressure on her string and slipping the arrow back into her quiver. "I would appreciate if you would do the same and hear me out before killing me, intentionally or not."

"No promises."

Taking several steps into the clearing, Susan laid down her bow and backed away a pace. "I apologize for shooting you earlier, but I had no choice. You would have otherwise killed me without reason."

"Oh I have reason," Katniss replied sharply.

"No," Susan said flatly. "You don't."

Katniss drew breath to speak, but Susan cut her off with a sharp gesture. Her voice was cold and full of queenly authority, and at first, there was no hint of the gentility for which she was famous in her own land.

"We have done nothing to prove malicious intent against you or your team, Katniss Everdeen," Susan began. Her words seemed to grow in conviction with each syllable while Katniss's bow tension waned. "You have murdered two people. Purposefully slaughtered them without reason—and for these?" Susan took out the golden arrows and flung them on the ground. Katniss flinched back reflexively. "I do not know what nightmares you have endured, and I do not know what lies about us you believe, but I refuse to play this game any longer. Kill me now if you can honestly believe it is right, but whatever you decide," (Susan's voice softened), "know this: I forgive you."

Stunned silence washed over Katniss like a physical force. She could not fathom the meaning of the last three words, and something deep inside of her hardening heart broke. But before she could respond, there came a crashing in the underbrush. Susan's heart was in her throat at what she saw, and Katniss's face drained of all color.

"Drop it, kid," the figure said, hands outstretched in a non-threatening gesture. "Loki was lying—we're all on the same side. Got it?"

"NO!" Katniss's hands were trembling again, and her eyes were large and staring. "You're dead. The muttations got you, Cato."

"Cato?" the figure said, confused. It looked at the frozen Susan. "What's going on?"

"How did you get here?" Susan questioned in a hushed voice.

"I ran," the person answered, glancing uneasily between the two women.

Of course, you know and I know that it was really Hawkeye, breathing hard after racing through the woods with an evil Norse god goodness knows where behind him. However, an evil part of Loki's power—the power of illusion—was coming into play. Katniss saw not her teammate and companion, but a powerful enemy she feared. Susan's throat clenched, and she blinked her eyes several times, certain that she could not be seeing things clearly. Before her stood the White Witch, a terrifying individual with horrible eyes—a person Susan had thought dead since the great battle for Narnia and the end of the hundred year winter.

It made no sense. Why would _she_ be here? The terror ebbed, and her frown smoothed as confidence surged through her. Aslan had defeated the witch. She couldn't possibly be here.

The Narnian queen looked over at Katniss and saw the fear in the other girl's eyes.

"What the h*** are you doing?" Hawkeye yelled, fumbling with his bow when he saw Katniss raise hers. Somehow his bow had come unstrung.

Susan heard Hawkeye's voice and started in surprise. Instead of the White Witch, she saw an unnerved male contestant. The spell (for her at least) was broken.

"Hawkeye!" Susan exclaimed. She looked at Katniss. "Katniss, NO!"

Distracted by Susan, Hawkeye had paused for a split second, and in that split second, Katniss had fired. The arrow killed him instantly just as Susan's words left her mouth.

Katniss stared in shock as she watched the body fall. The veil had been lifted from her eyes, and she no longer saw Cato. She stifled a scream, a sob—she had just killed the one person in the contest she trusted.

"Oh dear," a mocking male voice said behind them. Both girls whirled around, another arrow finding its place on Katniss's bow. "I think that was your teammate."

Katniss fired in anger, Susan following a moment later after she retrieved her own bow.

Loki lifted his staff and magically blocked the two arrows that had been speeding toward him. He frowned in disapproval. "Is that the only way you know how to greet people?"

"You made me kill him," Katniss said—she was in a dark rage. Any other emotion would have been too weak, and the atrocities she had committed that day would destroy her spirit if she let anything but anger guide her thoughts. She could not afford to think like Susan. Katniss reached back for another arrow, but her quiver was empty, as was Susan's.

"I didn't make you do anything," Loki remarked blithely. "You're the one who shot him."

"Because you tricked us," Susan replied in a tone filled with horror. She had no idea of the identity of this individual before her, but she instinctively knew he was the evil at the root of this unforeseen (and unfortunate) chain of events. "You made us believe we were facing…"

"Someone you fear?" Loki finished as Susan searched for the words. In all honesty, Susan had no idea what it was that Katniss had seen, but she knew the girl had been alarmed enough to take his or her life.

"You made me kill him," Katniss repeated, prepared to charge her foe and kill him with her bare hands if she had to. Susan grabbed the girl's arm to restrain her—there was no need for rashness. She had no doubt this man could kill them before they took a pace towards him if he so desired.

"Again," Loki said as if lecturing a small child. "You shot him. The only thing I did was project an image in your mind of someone you dread to face again. What you did with that fear was not of my doing."

"You projected the image on Hawkeye!" Katniss shouted, motioning to the space where the body had lain before vanishing like the previous two.

"And you murdered him in cold blood just like the other two."

"Why didn't you kill him yourself?" Susan asked suddenly, hoping to find a peaceful solution to the problem by means of diplomacy.

Loki smiled, the perfect mixture of evil and charm. "Why eradicate a foe when you can destroy three?"

"I did not succumb to your treachery," Susan pointed out, killing the smile.

"No," agreed Loki. "But the one arrow was quite sufficient. I do thank you for that, Katniss Everdeen. You have been most helpful in my endeavors."

Katniss said a few very uncomplimentary things which do not bear repeating, and for the first time, Susan was not entirely in disagreement with her.

"So what now?" Katniss demanded. "Are you gonna kill us too?"

"That would ruin the fun."

"Fun?!" Susan exclaimed in disgust. "How dare you call this sadistic game of yours fun!"

"My dear," Loki ground out with waning patience. "This is a game of the mind, a battle of wills. You damsels are the only two pawns left alive, and only one of you will win and be crowned the glorious victor, a reminder of the level of my commitment to the destruction of those watching from high above."

"I refuse to play your sick game," Susan said staunchly.

"I won't either," Katniss agreed.

"I think you'll change your mind about that," Loki said with a knowing expression. "It is in your nature to fight for survival. I've selected a few beasts that might be up to the task. Eventually, one of you will die."

Susan gasped quietly and covered her mouth with her hand. Katniss had a flashback to that last "night" in the Hunger Games.

"You can't do that," Susan protested. "We have no arrows left."

Loki made a conciliatory gesture. "My apologies. That would be most unfair." Two arrows shimmered into existence on the ground in front of them. "I will provide you with one arrow each."

Susan gaped at him in disbelief. She had never met so cruel a person. The White Witch had been wicked and cold-hearted, but this man was downright atrocious. He delighted in twisting the mind for his own sick amusement.

"We'll kill ourselves," Katniss blurted out, hoping this method would work once more.

Loki did not take the bait but instead sighed dolefully.

"And here I thought you could get no more predictable," Loki muttered half to himself, disappointment clouding his features momentarily. "Naturally, you have that option before you, but I genuinely doubt either of you would truly go through with it. Especially you, dear Susan. You're much too noble for that."

"I really would," Katniss said as sincerely as she could. Susan hesitated. The thought of committing suicide was both unpleasant and really quite unthinkable—to give up on life would be to give up on Aslan, for surely he had a plan through this (despite, she thought with tears pricking at her eyes, Merida's death, and Robin's, and now Hawkeye's and Legolas's).

"I won't stop you, if that is what you are hoping," Loki said, calling Katniss's bluff. "It matters not to me if one pawn lives or both pawns die. In either case, I win. Your final act of defiance against me would be no more than an insult to the living."

"What is it that you will win?" Susan questioned quietly, desperately searching for a means of ending the madness.

"You should be more interested in what you will win."

"Which is what?" Katniss wondered aloud. "What could you possibly offer us, Loki?"

"As a gesture of gratitude for your cooperation in my game, I am prepared to grant one of you a favor. I will send you home to be united with your families once again, free of all memory of this loathsome place, and I can ensure that you will never have to fight in something so meaningless and murderous as this ever again." The offer sparked some interest in Katniss. She wanted to go home and forget her past deeds from that day, wanted to forget the nightmare of her own actions and what she had felt while committing them, but…

Susan drew a deep breath as she waited for the conflicted girl's response, but as it turned out, she didn't have to wait long. Katniss spat in the Norse god's general direction and snarled, "Oh, I'll go home alright—once I see you dead, you—"

Loki's eyes flashed green, and suddenly Katniss's bow snapped in half. The god's lips quirked dangerously. "Another move like that, and I might not be as charitable."

Loki waved his staff elegantly, and a large beast (somewhat like a dog, but the largest, nastiest dog you've ever seen—so evil that it could not be natural) suddenly appeared in front of the two girls. Katniss muttered, "muttation" and shrank away from the snarling hound.

"I suggest you pick up your arrows," Loki advised with a malicious grin. "I won't hold this beast at bay for long."

He was mad. Obviously, quite horribly mad. Susan didn't know quite what to do about it, and she realized death for both of them would be imminent unless a miracle occurred.

It was then that something happened which should be expected to anyone who is even remotely acquainted with any of the tales of Middle Earth.

The killing cry of a bird of prey abruptly echoed around them. Those who have familiarized themselves with the tales of the Silmarillion will know that Manwë, the King of the Valar, was lord of air, wind, and clouds in all the land of Arda. It was he who devised the Great Eagles in the beginning, and he who sent them flying across the faces of the earth, a noble race. And therefore it is he, in a way, who is responsible for those Great Lordly birds (or rather a single bird in this instance) of prey who flock to the heroes of any given story when the need is at its greatest.

Thus it was that as Susan and Katniss, utterly helpless in the face of Loki's evil, looked up to the sky for deliverance, they found it. An eagle, Susan's heart cried. An eagle was diving towards the ferocious beast —_and Legolas was coming with him_.

He rode on the winged beast like an elf-lord of old with his hair streaming behind him like a pennant, seated as lightly as if he were on a horse.

Loki let out a violent curse, giving a hasty command for the horrific hound to attack the two women while loosing a deadly, blue bolt from his staff in the direction of the plummeting bird. An Elven arrow hissed ahead of the bird, pinging sharply off of Loki's staff a split second before it released its devastating energy bullet at the arriving air force. The shot flew wide of the giant eagle, and hit a heavily leaning tree, sending bark splinters flying everywhere.

The groan of stressed wood and the shriek of an eagle on the hunt filled the clearing with a deafening clamor. The tree, expedited by Loki's shifted aim, completed its descent to the forest floor at a rapid pace, trapping the god of mischief under its thick boughs and leafy branches. At the same time, the eagle swooped low at the charging muttation (the horrible dog), plucking it from the air just at it vaulted the last few meters, intent on killing the stunned damsels who had quite forgotten about the arrows in front of them.

A screech of agony erupted from the muttation as the eagle's claws latched onto its powerful haunches, bearing the struggling bag of muscles aloft. With the formidable beat of its wings, the eagle sped straight into the blue sky—but a moment after Legolas had disembarked from its bronze, feathered back. The elf gracefully dove through the sky and executed a nimble roll to absorb the force of his descent that ended in a kneeling position, his Lorien bow loaded and aimed at the collapsed wreckage of the tree that obscured the entrapped Loki.

Satisfied that Loki was incapacitated at the moment, Legolas stood and lowered his bow, reaching into his quiver for something that gleamed in the sunlight, something which he threw like a dart toward Susan and Katniss. It landed in the rich loam beside the Narnian queen's feet—the final golden arrow.

"Go!" the elf shouted, quickly raising his bow again at the sound of rustling branches. "Both of you! Take the arrows and head toward the nearest starting place! Gwaihir will find you and take you the rest of the way." (Gwaihir was the eagle who served as Legolas' transportation. He was quite used to these sorts of things, for as it happens, Gwaihir had also rescued Gandalf the Grey on a few occasions.)

"Hawkeye is dead and-" Katniss protested.

A blue bolt of energy engulfed the twanging song of Legolas's bow as the elf was borne aloft by the force of the explosion.

"Legolas!" Susan screamed, but the elf had not been hit, merely tossed into the air by a near miss.

"Go!" Legolas commanded, scrambling to his feet and running in the direction opposite of the two females. "You must end the game."

Instantly obeying, Susan grabbed all three of the golden arrows and tucked them into her sack. She looked up and saw Katniss holding out the other two her team had won. Determination shone bright in her eyes.

"Take them and give me your bow. I'll stay and help the elf," she said (meaning, "I'm sorry I just killed three innocent people, and I'm going to do everything in my power to stop this guy to make up for it.").

"No," said the queen, putting her hand on Katniss's shoulder as the girl retrieved the "charity" arrows Loki had left them. "We do this together."

Another tree shattered into sharp splinters from the impact of a blue energy ball of death meant for Legolas, and the two girls took off before Loki remembered there were others in the game arena besides the Mirkwood elf. As they ran, Katniss glanced up at the trees, then angled off to the right and said, "This way! Our camp is several miles through this segment of forest. I remember from the map."

Susan followed unquestioningly. "I can never keep maps in my head," she remarked regretfully around quick breaths. "And my brothers _always_ roll their eyes at me because of it."

"At least you can keep your head."

"Katniss." Susan stopped abruptly. "Before we go another step, you must know this—I don't hold any ill will against you. You were being manipulated, not just by Loki, but by your past, and while I don't condone your actions even if all he said were true, I did mean it when I said that I forgive you. Can't we be friends?"

At first Katniss looked annoyed (because for Peeta's sake, they were tearing through a forest with a madman and an elf fighting an epic battle behind them while they were the only key to ending this monstrosity), but after a moment she drew in a ragged breath and nodded, tampering back the flood of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her.

"It all came back—volunteering, the anticipation, the running, and then—the killing." She swallowed. "I've never been more frightened in my life than in those few days." Her eyes flickered up to Susan's. "The thought of repeating them was more than I could bear."

"You're not alone in your fear," Susan encouraged, squeezing her shoulder. "But courage comes when we act in spite of our fear. There is forgiveness for your actions, and Katniss, don't you ever forget that _there is hope_!"

Before Katniss could say anything else (or collapse in a sobbing mass of nerves, which was about all that was left of her), a massive blast of fierce light stabbed into the sky, followed by a noise that sounded eerily like the cannon fire announcing another dead tribute.

"What was that?" Katniss asked shakily. Susan reached into her sack to touch the golden arrows for reassurance, and then placed a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"A sign that we need to keep moving," she said calmly. "Legolas cannot hold off this Loki for much longer, and these…these are our only hope."

An eagle's cry far above them brought a smile to Susan's face.

"I think our ride is coming."

Katniss swore. Riding one animal during this competition had been bad enough, and she wasn't particularly fond of heights…

0o0o0o

The air was thick with hostility. It bounced off Legolas's skin like tangible darts that poked and prodded at his nerves. He ducked away from a series of blue light bolts and watched as grass, moss, and wood where he had stood moments before were transformed into patches of charred blackness. The elf had soon discovered his arrows were no match for Loki. He either blocked them with ease or dissolved them with a flash of light. Once the girls had been lost from sight, Legolas had chosen to utilize the forest as a means of cover, further enraging the god of mischief while prolonging the elf's chances of survival.

Loki had been surprised when Legolas first appeared, surprised and irate. When he'd left the elf slumbering and shivering in the darkness of the foul cavern, he had expected Legolas to either remain so for days or awaken as a new (and quite demonic) creature.

But somehow, here the elf was—standing firmly against him as if the enchantment of the dark waters had never been. It was enough to severely try a god's patience, and though Loki was no god (a mere Frost-giant/Asgardian), he was very, very put out.

"Put down your staff, Loki, and I swear I will petition Lord Elrond to spare your life," Legolas called out. Wood chips showered the tree next to him.

Loki let out a maddened exclamation. "I'm done bargaining with you, elf!"

Legolas ducked out of cover, loosed an arrow, and dove behind a different cluster of trees. He reached back for his next arrow only to discover his quiver was empty. A large shadow moved across the clearing; it was Gwaihir. Loki raised his staff towards the majestic bird, intent on killing the animal.

With no time to think, Legolas tossed aside his beautiful bow, drew his two white knives, and charged the god of mischief. It was imperative that Gwaihir get the girls to a starting position.

Loki released a massive bolt of pure energy towards the eagle, but just as it was about to engulf the bird, another bolt of white energy consumed the first, producing a sound similar to cannon fire. Merlin had somehow managed to break through Loki's power and muster enough magic for a defensive response. (In actuality, Merlin had been forced to destroy nearly three-quarters of the game arena, converting his original magic into a one-time response, not that anyone noticed the crumbling world at first because they were otherwise preoccupied. It would not have been enough to defeat Loki directly, but it was enough to save Gwaihir while keeping the two important areas of the map intact. He had discovered this ability some hours ago but had saved it for such a dire occasion. Indeed, the previous earthquake that had forced Legolas into the Enchanted River had been a result of his tampering.)

However, Legolas did not observe the light battle above, for as soon as he made contact with Loki, the god of mischief disappeared in a shimmer of light. The elf stopped short in surprise, looking around wildly for his foe. Then he stopped and let out a gasp.

Savage agony blossomed in the elf's left, lower side where the sharp end of Loki's staff now protruded though the front of his abdomen. Legolas lurched forwards and spun away rather than fall to his knees, the two knives whirling overhead in a defensive motion.

Loki hissed as one of the sharp Elven blades lacerated his arm, cutting through his protection with the ease of a hot knife through butter. The two broke off their fighting for a moment for a quick assessment of damage sustained. Loki's gash was a superficial one, and served to further anger rather than hinder him. The wound Legolas had sustained was fatal.

"You've not long to live," Loki taunted.

Legolas did not bother with a response, instead charging his foe once more (with a bit more caution this time). He had to stall Loki for as long as possible. The god of mischief grinned at the obstinacy of the elf. Normally, he let others do the killing, but he would enjoy this one.

Metal clashed as staff met knives. Loki lacked the elegant movements and agility of the elf, but he made up for it with the savagery he had learned from sparring with Thor and other Asgardians. Legolas held his own for a while, knives flashing past Loki's guard here and there like maddened bees, but all of the wounds were superficial, and the elf's strength was failing fast. Blood soaked his tunic and dotted the clearing. Loki's staff had sliced through vital areas, causing massive abdominal hemorrhaging.

With a cry of triumph, Loki kicked Legolas in the sternum, sending the elf flying backwards and his two knives soaring out of reach. Legolas lay there in the grass, winded and bleeding. He could not see the god of mischief but heard footsteps encircling his locus. The pungent taste of coppery blood was on his lips, and it grew stronger with each ragged breath. The sky began to dim.

"Is this all you have to offer?" Loki demanded, spitting contemptuously on the ground. "Do you truly believe your efforts will prevent my victory?"

Legolas painfully lifted his head, tracking the movements of his foe as best he could. "I have no doubt you will fail—because you are capable of nothing else." The elf let his head fall to the ground, his strength ebbing away as assuredly as the receding tide.

Loki chuckled in dark fury. "I will win however the dice fall, Elf."

Suddenly, all around Legolas, Loki's image duplicated exponentially, each new figure flashing brightly into existence with the same vile grin, the edges of each figure shimmering in and out of focus. Legolas could not tell the real from the imitation as every Loki shifted in impossibly rapid motions around him.

"But I will have the pleasure of killing before they land."

A hundred bright staffs rose for the killing strike. A hundred 'Loki's surged towards him with growing energy. A hundred 'Loki's leapt into the air, utilizing a combination of weight and gravity to impale the vulnerable elf.

Legolas closed his eyes, feeling time slow with each heartbeat and all pain dissipate to utter nothingness. His muscles tensed with the power of all remaining strength. He felt the sprinting steps approach him, sensed the air displacement above him, heard the exclamation of victory around him.

Two brilliant blue Elven eyes snapped open; there was only one Loki.

The dying elf's arms shot up, both hands grabbing the shaft of the scepter just aft of the glowing blue orb. Continuing the downwards motion, Legolas wrenched the staff past his body, throwing the surprised Loki over him to land with a forceful thud on the hard ground while exploiting the momentum to spring to his feet with cat-like grace. The golden spear whistled over the elf's head with deadly speed. The sharp end pierced the elaborate, ceremonial armor of the god of mischief. Surprise enveloped Loki's features, his green eyes wide as he beheld the freezing fury of the two Elven eyes and the staff he had once used for evil embedded in his chest.

"The dice have landed, Loki," Legolas said pitilessly.

"You can't kill me by physical means alone," Loki boasted in sharp gasps as blood coated his teeth.

"I don't intend to."

The blue orb flickered once then contracted, dragging in the air around it until it reached the size of pea.

"Imposs-" Loki began.

The orb exploded with a force so powerful that it threw Legolas across the clearing and completely engulfed Loki, disintegrating his body in an instant. Free from Loki's control, Merlin had been able to manipulate magic once more, free from all restriction. He had not, however, intended to kill the one responsible for all of their troubles. Somewhere along the process (and perhaps due to his own haste), he had sparked a chain reaction in the orb's energy flow, creating the devastating explosion instead of transporting everyone out the game arena and back to the safety of Rivendell.

Legolas lay in the grass unmoving. Bones had been broken, hypovolemic shock had set in, and his ears rang from the blast, but he felt no pain, and his enemy was defeated. The women had all the time they required to finally end the third challenge.

Or did they?

"Only four can die," Legolas murmured softly. His vision was turning black around the edges, but in those final moments, he let them slowly wander across the sky. His felt sand, not grass, between his fingers, and a seagull floated on the wind above him. The alluring reverberation of waves crashed upon the beach, the sound filled the air around him, and he smelt the tang of the sea, tasted salt on his lips. Oh how his heart yearned to sail across its mesmerizing waters…

A voice called to him, the voice of Mandos, lord of the dead, telling him it was time.

Darkness came. Legolas Thranduilion, Prince of the Woodland Realm, breathed his last…

…and then there was light.

* * *

_**Wait a second...is Legolas DEAD? Will Loki be back to wreak more havoc on Middle Earth? And lastly, that pressing question that may have gotten lost in the back of your mind during the events of this epic competition...**_

_**WHO WON THE CONTEST?**_

_**Find the answers to these questions and more when you return next week for the epic conclusion of CALLING ALL CONTESTANTS.**_


	16. Resolutions (the end)

**Disclaimer: None of these characters are ours. We stole them. Shamelessly. ****All of them.**

_And now for the final chapter of CALLING ALL CONTESTANTS!_

* * *

**Chapter 16: Resolutions **

Perspiration beaded on the young warlock's brow as he concentrated on controlling the magic within the game arena. He had just saved Gwaihir from Loki's deadly blast at the cost of destroying most of the arena's landscape he had created two days back, but it had been necessary.

Voices swirled around him, male and female, young and old, but Merlin blocked them all out. He had to remain entirely focused as the words flowed from his mouth. His eyes stung.

He was kneeling on the rubble dusted table, each hand held inside the circular display screen that hung suspended just past the new edge of the wrecked Viewing Pavilion. In order to manipulate the magic within the game, Merlin needed to be in direct contact with the new world, and while he had been able to revert some aspects of the death rule (for instance, the allowance that the first four people to die in the game would instead be transported back to Rivendell—a thoughtful Robin, grumpy Merida, and bewildered Hawkeye were living proof to the change he'd made), there was little else he could do while Loki possessed the power of the staff. It was as if the magic would only answer to one party at a time.

And unfortunately, Merlin was not that party.

"Can you help him defeat Loki?" Lord Elrond asked in strained concern as he watched Legolas spar with the god of mischief, the mortal wound slowly draining him of all strength.

Merlin shook his head sharply, keeping his reply as short as possible. "Still has the staff."

"You were able to conjure some magic before. Can you do so again?"

"Not enough map left. Might be able to get them all back if Legolas gets the staff but-"

At that moment Legolas was kicked to the ground, and a collective gasp (and a few choice words from Gimli) filled the area. Everyone watched in horror as Loki circled his prey. They heard each word and no one, not even Thor, could help being filled with revulsion for the green and gold clad figure who mocked the perishing elf.

"Will the girls make it?" Captain Rogers questioned in a hushed tone.

"I don't know," Merlin replied softly. He had relaxed his concentration when he saw Legolas go down. Any chance of the elf retrieving the staff was gone. "Loki may be able to transport himself over to team two's starting position before they arrive. I'm not sure. His magic is quite powerful."

"Loki will finish the job before he goes after them," Hawkeye said in frustration that stemmed from how easily he had died in the arena. "It's a good thing one more can die and still make it back here alive."

"He's not dead yet," Natasha murmured.

Silence fell and no one moved as Loki grinned and charged toward the vulnerable elf with this staff raised for the killing blow.

But then the tables turned. Seemingly in the blink of an eye, Legolas was standing over the god of mischief—and the staff had turned and was embedded in Loki's chest!

Caught by surprise, it took a few seconds for Merlin to react. Closing his eyes, he instinctively reached out to the scepter's blue magic in an attempt to regulate it, bring it under his control and use it for his own purposes in order to transport all of the contestants back to Rivendell.

But the magic refused to be taken so easily, and Merlin cried out in horror as he realized what he had just done. As Legolas was tossed aside by the explosion, so also was Merlin pitched backwards into the crowd of competitors and companions intently watching the scene below unfold. Fortunately, many bodies halted his momentum and ready hands helped him back up.

"No!" Merlin shouted as the blue display screen shivered and revealed the form of Loki—Loki, who had just been killed by his own staff.

The stunned god of mischief stumbled forward, disoriented, and was quickly pounced upon by Thor and Gimli and restrained with a handy bit of rope Merlin had enchanted to theoretically prevent Loki from using magic (the young warlock was uncertain of how much power Loki truly possessed). Thor also searched his brother, producing the four rings on a chain and handing them over to Lord Elrond.

The young warlock looked back into the arena. The girls were almost to the starting position. Legolas lay broken and bleeding in the clearing.

Merlin swallowed. Four people had died in the arena (Loki counted—he was a villain, but he counted!). Legolas was going to die.

"You must to do something," Elrond said urgently.

"I can't," Merlin whispered in dread. He hastily immersed his hands back into the viewing orb, trying desperately to manage the magic within.

"He's out of time, kid!" Stark yelled.

"I can't do anything!" Merlin yelled back, failure clawing its way up his throat. His thoughts were scattered everywhere, and he felt the magic slip through his fingers. He tried to manipulate the death rule, but the words he needed refused to come to mind, instead prancing around on the tip of his tongue just out of reach.

"He's not gonna make it," Hawkeye stated simply. Gwaihir had just landed, Susan and Katniss were sprinting to the starting post.

"No!" Loki rasped, grasping the situation and capturing everyone's attention. "—wasn't supposed to be like this. Nobody's supposed to _die_!"

"This is your fault!" Gimli growled. "Your fault. If he dies, his death will be upon your head."

"What do you mean nobody was supposed to die?" Elrond asked coldly.

Loki grimaced and said, "I allowed Merlin to change the death rule. They were not to be harmed—only made to believe they could die. But then, I wasn't counting on you using the staff against me. He was to die and be returned here, and then it would be over!"

Merlin groaned and gritted his teeth. He cursed this foreign magic and Loki's meddling and wished things didn't have to always be so complicated.

"Bring him back," Loki said.

Merlin gave him a weary look.

"You must let it flow through you," the god of mischief repeated. "Bring him here in time and he will not die."

Other voices urged him to do so, but Merlin shook his head. His limbs were stiff, his head was pounding, he could hardly think.

"I can't!" he shouted. "I just can't!"

The voices stopped. A weathered hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed slightly.

"I know you can do this, Merlin," said the voice of his mentor, Gaius. "I believe in you."

Taking a deep breath, Merlin gathered all of his thoughts together and concentrated on the dying elf. His eyes blazed a brilliant gold—he had full control of the magic, felt Loki's eyes fixed on him, willing him to succeed (because the man obviously didn't want the dwarf holding a blood-feud against him).

"Bring him back," whispered Merida, putting her hand into Merlin's. There were tears in her eyes. "Bring him back."

He reached into the game and felt the elf. So weak—his heart struggled just to beat one more time. Merlin felt rather than saw Legolas's chest fall with his final breath.

And then he was gone.

It was only then that Merlin felt a spike in the magic of the staff. Reaching deep into the game with his mind, the young warlock pulled the elf prince out of the arena and onto the rubble strewn Viewing Pavilion. There were no visible injuries (some other nuance of the game, he supposed), but dead. He bent over the body of the elf, whispering frantic words while those crowded around him watched anxiously.

Nothing happened. Nothing happened—he was _gone_.

Just as he was about to burst into tears (it had been a very, very long three days), he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Try this," Gaius offered, pressing a large pill (that looked like it had been coated in chocolate) into Merlin's hand. "It was a gift from an old friend of mine. I'd quite forgotten about it until I discovered it while rummaging through one of the satchels the hobbits were so kind enough to bring along."

Merlin opened the elf's mouth and placed it inside (after all, what had he to lose from trying it? He was too weary to argue with Gaius). A few seconds passed and still nothing happened. A tear dripped down Merida's face.

And then, so suddenly that everyone jumped in surprise, Legolas sat bolt upright.

"I'll shoot you between the eyes! I'll strike off your heads with a knife!" the elf blurted out to the astonished individuals around him.

"You're back!" Merlin exclaimed in relief, a broad grin breaking out across his face. Gaius clapped the young man on the back and gave him one of those rare "I'm so proud of you" smiles.

"Why can't I feel my legs and arms?" Legolas demanded, more than a little rattled.

"Ah," Gaius said a bit of uneasily as his smile fell. "From what I understand, it may take some time for you to recover fully after being mostly dead. But I promise you will recover fully...you're not planning on swimming for at least an hour, are you?"

Legolas was about to reply when the overjoyed tones of a certain dwarf interrupted him. He felt a hearty slap on his back and doubled over from the exuberance of his companion. The crowd of people had pushed Gimli back (it just wasn't fair being a dwarf—he was even shorter than that red-headed princess!) and he hadn't actually witnessed the elf's death, nor had realized that Merlin had just revived him. In fact, it was Legolas's voice that had caused him to forget being polite and push through the crowd.

"I knew you would make it, Laddie," Gimli cheered with enthusiasm. "I knew you would defeat that muck-infested excuse for a god."

Nobody noticed that a certain muck-infested excuse for a god was looking mightily relieved that the elf hadn't actually died.

Hawkeye and Captain Rogers took it upon themselves to help the poor elf up into a cracked but still usable chair (Gimli was a bit too short for the task and he had many questions for the elf about what happened). As Legolas sat down, there was a bright flash of light, and a bedraggled Susan and a wide-eyed Katniss suddenly appeared. The triumphant cry of an eagle split the air as Gwaihir sped straight into the air, flipped around, and made his way back to his perch in the Misty Mountains. The viewing bubble vanished.

And that was game over.

"Susan!" Robin Hood cried out when he saw his beloved. And then frowned. Dying twice seemed to have gotten his mind working again, for abruptly Marian appeared in his mind and he Remembered.

"We did it," Susan breathed, hugging a surprised Katniss before gazing around in wonder at the wrecked area crowded with so many relieved faces. Merida pushed her way through and nearly tackled the queen, and Susan hugged her back with not a few tears (after all, she had thought the princess dead).

Clapping and cheering spread through the crowd (no one really knew who started it). Companions and competitors mingled together once more, and all tension seemed to melt away from the previous dramatic situations from a few moments before. Jokes were exchanged with laughter, hugs, and back slaps while smiles flashed as brightly as mirrors reflecting the light of the sinking sun.

Katniss felt a rush of elation as she realized they had won, and she was still alive (as was everyone else). The elation died and was replaced with mortification when she saw Merida, Robin Hood, and Hawkeye, but that feeling was replaced with deep anger when she caught sight of a rather glum looking Loki.

"_You_," was all she got out before being smothered by Haymitch (who was completely sober for once but still reeked of strong spirits).

"Let it go, Katniss," he advised her, keeping a firm grip around her shoulders. "He'll be dealt with accordingly, from what I hear."

"Indeed he shall," Lord Elrond said, his authoritative words quieting the crowd while his grey eyes pierced through Loki's green ones. Loki had been content to remain quiet upon his capture, whether out of surprise that he had lost or in hopes they would forget his presence.

He had certainly not been forgotten. Elrond beckoned everyone to follow him into a different courtyard—one that hadn't been smashed into bits by Bruce Banner on a rampage. This room had once been a hall of tales, music, and poetry. Stone had been carved into semicircular, descending rings that provided much space for seating while a small dais was at the bottom of the room.

After a small break (everybody was awfully hungry and thirsty and needed a moment to recover) they reconvened.

"Let Loki be brought forward," Elrond began.

Everyone but the last four arriving contestants had deliberated over this before the end of the game—whether they had the right to judge and sentence Loki, and if so, who should judge and sentence him, for everyone felt confident Loki would be stopped. It was finally decided that Elrond and Thor would be the ones to decide—Elrond because it was his realm and those under his protection who had been harmed, and Thor because Loki was his brother (and he still held a look of concern in his eyes for the dark-haired villain).

Gimli eagerly shoved Loki forward and sent him tipping up the dais stair, ignoring Thor's disapproving look. Loki thrust out his chin and glared at everyone gathered in the courtyard with open defiance as he faced them. The setting sun lay behind his challengers and shone brightly in his eyes through the many columns at the top of the chamber. Beorn stood guard nearby the dais. Thor and Elrond stood apart from the crowd before the accused while everyone else sat.

"You will be judged here today for the crimes you have committed while here in Rivendell and the arena of the third challenge," Elrond said solemnly.

"An' then, I think I'll _execute_ the judgment myself," Gimli declared gruffly, hefting his axe.

Thor gave a thunderous look to the dwarf which kept him from coming any closer to the dark-haired Asgardian.

"If anyone dares to harm my brother, he will have a taste of my hammer," Thor warned.

Gimli's face grew a fierce scowl, and several voices rose in protest and disbelief at Thor's eagerness to protect someone as vile as Loki. The god of mischief snorted in scorn of Thor's loyalty. Chaos was beginning to settle upon the Viewing Pavilion.

"Silence!" Elrond ordered sternly, turning to face the group. "No one will cause harm to the accused or threaten him otherwise. This is a hearing, not an execution."

"What are we waitin' for?" Gimli demanded angrily. "He tried to kill all of the contestants by pittin' them against each other like goblins and orcs while attemptin' to murderous with those spiders and the green monster. Why don' we kill 'im?"

"I agree," Katniss spoke out strongly. She stared at Loki with open hatred. "I say we end this here and now."

"I say you will not harm him while I stand," Thor said firmly.

"We cannot simply murder him," Queen Susan agreed. She desired no further bloodshed.

"I'm thinking an electric chair would do the job," Stark suggested nonchalantly. He glanced over at Banner (who was once more normal size and wearing whatever garments Merlin had managed to scrounge up for him). "You up to helping me build one?"

Banner raised his hands in a motion of denial. "I kind of met my violence quota for the day."

"You can't just let him live!" Katniss protested.

Before Elrond could once again silence the arguing voices, a low chuckle echoed all around them, the resonance of the hall was truly astounding.

"What are you laughing at?" demanded Katniss, her eyes glittering with malicious intent at Loki.

"You people claim to be honorable, the beacons of humanity, but deep inside your hearts you desire vengeance and selfish gain," Loki lectured. "You claim to be so very different from me, yet all the while the words you speak right here and now reflect nothing more than the basest craving of humanity: absolute impartiality, all the while backstabbing each other to be king of the mountain. So by all means, execute me. You can hardly become more hypocritical."

"You will not be executed, Loki of Asgard," Elrond said sternly. "Nor will I tolerate your deliberate attempts to provoke those gathered here. Your fate will not be decided by me or anyone here, for you will be returned from whence you came with your brother and without harm. We only want the answer to why you have chosen to cause so much destruction here. You will be allowed to speak your part free of threat, but I caution you to keep a civil and honest tongue."

"Not sure he can do that," Stark muttered, and there was a general murmur of assent that ran through the crowd.

"What reasoning do you have for your actions?" Elrond inquired.

The accused Asgardian remained silent.

"Your plans have failed once again, Brother," Thor said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah. You basically suck at everything you do," commented Stark.

Lord Elrond turned to address the irritating man. "I will only request that you hold your remarks once, Mr. Stark."

"Why do you plot our destruction with such passion?" Thor continued. "What say you, Brother?"

"I have done nothing I regret, and _I am not your brother_, Thor Odinson."

"Really? No remorse? Like, none?" All eyes stared at Stark. "Yup. Confirmed b******."

"Mr. Stark," Elrond began with a meaningful glower. "You will be removed from these proceedings if you continue to interject your trivial comments."

The billionaire, playboy, philanthropist made a gesture of apology before miming the closing of an invisible zipper over his mouth.

The god of thunder faced the god of mischief, trying to understand. "What have I ever done to make you feel such hatred for me and these people?"

"Odin stole me from my true father who was too ashamed to claim me as his own," Loki began. "You've already seen what I've done to my own blood relations in recompense for their betrayal and weakness. Odin raised me in your shadow as his prize to be played at the exact moment that would best suit his own interests. He claimed we were from the line of kings meant to rule, and yet he still chose you and your arrogance over me. Even when he cast you out, he denied me the throne. He couldn't let a Frost Giant have dominion over Asgard, now could he? And even with your newfound piety, you cause mayhem where ever you step foot."

"I have changed my ways since my first visit to Earth, Brother," Thor returned. "The only destruction I have caused was in light of your exploits."

"Oh yes, the Mighty Avengers," Loki spat in contempt. "I tremble in fear."

"I seem to recall you weren't so cocky after the Hulk broke your face," Stark said, unable to resist. Elrond frowned and considered gesturing to Beorn to remove the man, but ended up throwing his hands in the air. Stark would never change.

"Yeah. I'm not actually sorry about that one," Banner agreed.

"And yet where you be without me?" Loki inquired softly.

"Sipping piña coladas on a white beach with Pepper?" suggested Stark.

A general noise of amusement and/or disgust rippled through the listeners. Loki shook his head.

"Look at yourselves," he said scornfully. "Without me, your world would have been destroyed itself with your misguided experiments on the Tesseract."

"And because of you, our world was nearly destroyed anyway!" Stark shot back, a spark of anger gleaming in his eyes.

Now nearly everyone jumped to their feet and began to argue, but after a moment, Thor's voice rang out above the others.

"STOP!"

A tingle of electricity in the air caused everyone to pause and look at the god of thunder. His eyes flashed, and he was gripping his hammer tightly. Clouds had blocked out the sun, lighting threatening to appear. The moment faded quickly though, the protective bubble Merlin had created preventing the god of thunder from unleashing his full power.

"Lord Elrond. Let me speak to my brother alone. This trial is a breeding ground for rash actions and unwise counsel."

Elrond considered this, and then nodded. "It is well spoken. Apparently, this hearing cannot be conducted in a civilized manner. We shall proceed to the celebratory feast Merlin has prepared while you remain here and seek out the root of the matter."

"Feast?" Merlin asked sharply, jumping up nervously.

"You were tasked with its preparation," Elrond confirmed.

"I was busy trying to save them!" Merlin protested, gesturing to the contestants.

"Don't worry, Merlin," a hobbit voice called from the top of the room. "We took the liberty of rustling up some stuff, though we could use a bit of help with the rest."

"Master Elrond," Susan inquired. "Perhaps we could have some time to prepare ourselves before attending this feast, say a half hour?"

The elf Lord nodded wearily. "An excellent suggestion. The feast will begin a half hour." With his final words, everyone save Loki and Thor left the entertainment hall.

* * *

When the others had gone beyond hearing, Thor turned to his brother and said, "Now, Loki—I know there is more to this trouble than you still holding a grudge against Father for adopting—yes, kidnapping, if you will have it so—you as a child. You know that I do not think of you as anything but an equal, except that you insist on causing trouble. So what is wrong?"

"Wrong?" Loki scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Have you not noticed anything these past years? Nothing has changed. You, the brash and arrogant one who struts around and wins everyone's heart while they look at me as some lesser being. I deserve as much adoration as you."

His tone was bitter, though, belying his unconcerned expression.

"Are you well, brother?" Thor asked, his thick brows furrowed as he eyed Loki. The dark-haired Asgardian scowled, a bit taken aback.

"What do you mean _am I well_? Save for being dragged out of an Asgard unwillingly and held prisoner by a bunch of pointy eared—"

"You died!" Thor yelled as he hefted his hammer and smashed it into the dais, his anguish evident. He was remembering how it felt to die (back when he'd been exiled as a mortal on Earth, he had been given a moment to experience death, and had found it both unpleasant and like nothing he would ever have expected). "And this time I saw your body."

Something sharp and painful flashed through Loki's eyes, but so quickly that Thor almost thought he had imagined it.

"And yet here I am," Loki snapped, his voice trembling ever so slightly. "Alive and well."

Thor and Loki stood in silence for a moment—the latter glaring broodingly at the horizon, and the former watching him with clear puzzlement.

"Brother," Thor began, but Loki turned and snarled, "I am not your brother! How many times must we argue the fact that I am not of your blood?"

Thor shook his head. "Your blood does not change our childhood. We were raised together, Loki! Got into trouble, took on adventures, faced difficulties side by side. Listen to me," he grabbed his brother's shoulder and shook him once. "I was harsh to you sometimes in the past, but I never stopped loving you. Never."

Loki would not meet his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words emerged. Thor released him slowly.

"Tell me, Loki," Thor begged. "Help me understand."

"Odin told us long ago that we were both born to be kings. What is a king without a kingdom to rule?"

"There is so much more than that, Brother," replied Thor. He sat down on the first bench row. "And I have you to thank for knowing what a true king is."

Loki took a seat on the edge of the dais, opposite of his brother.

"You were right to get me banished from Asgard for a time, Brother, though I do not think you had that specifically in mind. I was arrogant, selfish, and not fit to be king. My exile showed me that, but I am sorry."

"For what?"

"I gave _you_ my arrogance, Brother."

"How dare you —"

"Please listen to what I have to say," interrupted Thor. Loki relented. "I see in you what you saw in me: arrogance, selfishness, and a desire for power, but that is not what makes a good king, Brother. Arrogance will destroy the kingdom, selfishness your friendships, and power yourself. Even if you finally managed to claim a kingdom of your own, you won't keep it. Another more cunning than you slit your throat in the night or good will find you and take back that which you stole. Remember what father said, 'A wise king never seeks out war, but he must always be ready for it.'

"I don't want to keep fighting you, Brother," Thor finished softly. "Stop searching for a war."

Silence prevailed for several minutes as Loki mulled the words over in his mind.

"You must think I'm a monster," he finally said, lifting his eyes to meet Thor's. He continued, almost wonderingly, "I use magic and words to trick people and twist their minds, but I did not mean to cause death—not this time. Whatever I do—whatever I have ever done—I never fail to cause mischief and discord. Some would say it is not possible for me to be good, that I cannot cross over the line to the side of good."

There was a deep pit of hopelessness behind his eyes. "I will probably be the death of you one day. And do you know—I probably won't regret it. It is my nature, and I cannot deny it. That is what makes me a monster."

Thor's eyes grew moist, and he shook his head. "No, Loki—no! You lie even to yourself! You _can_ choose your side—and you _can_ change your destiny, Brother."

"Your naivety astounds me—."

"No! It your own blind eyes that deceive you. Mischief is not evil unless you take it too far." Thor's eyes were very serious. "You are not so far gone—not yet."

There was another long moment of silence between the brothers, and at last, Loki let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

"'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.'" Loki quoted softly. "It is a lonely and treacherous path I tread."

"Then walk alongside mine, Brother," Thor told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "While it is not always smooth, I have never found myself walking it alone."

"How do I get there?" Loki asked forlornly.

"I'll draw you a map."

o0o0o0o

The attitude of the other contestants and companions had lightened once they reconvened for the feast (mostly because everybody was alive, though Susan felt much better mainly because she had finally brushed her hair and gotten all the blasted twigs out). However, the merriment quieted with the Asgardians' entrance. Every eye turned towards the pair who stood at the entry of the banquet balcony. The god of mischief hesitated a moment before stepping forward, his brother remaining behind but close by.

"I won't waste words expressing my regret," Loki began. "I know that I have caused much grief among you, and I cannot honestly say that I am truly sorry for all of it. However, the events of today and my conduct during this competition has brought to light certain flaws I find detrimental to obtaining certain…constructive goals."

Behind him, Thor cleared his throat.

"In short, I call a truce, and with that," again Loki hesitated, "I…apologize." The last two words stuck to his throat like a blob of peanut butter.

"And we're just supposed to believe you?" Hawkeye asked in disbelief. Several heads nodded in agreement.

"Not in the least," Loki answered truthfully. "I am not entirely sure on what side of the line I stand as of this moment, but I swear to you, I will cause no further damage here."

Sensing this was as much progress as they would make, Susan stood and approached Loki with a warm smile.

"Than that is all we ask of you today, Loki of Asgard," she said earnestly.

"I don't buy it," Hawkeye stated flatly. "And I wouldn't trust you with a pile of dirt."

"I trust him," argued Thor. "And I would hope that you have faith in me."

"Oh, we mostly trust your judgment, Point Break," Stark said with a critical stare at Loki. "But we also know his track record. It ain't exactly spotless."

"If Thor trusts him, then so do I," Queen Susan said firmly.

"Agreed," Captain Rogers said, raising his mug in a salute to Thor and Susan. "It may be an old fashion idea, but I think people can change."

"He lied and killed people," Katniss protested.

Susan turned her queenly gaze on the younger woman.

"Yes he did," she said calmly. "And I believe you are also guilty of crimes, yet I, and others, chose to forgive you. Why should we not grant him the same?"

"He doesn't look very sorry," muttered Katniss, a bit of her previous resentment subsiding.

"He has to start from somewhere," came the gentle answer.

Murmurs rippled through the banquet balcony, but the general consensus was that they would give Loki a chance to prove his changing demeanor, though many were still highly suspicious.

"Then it has been decided," Lord Elrond announced once everyone had quieted down. "Do you, Loki of Asgard, swear to restrain yourself from instigating further harm or mischief for the duration of your stay in Rivendell?"

"I do," Loki replied, his feelings rather mixed (but more of them were positive than not).

"Very well. Thor, would you please remove his restraints? Thank you. Now, I would be pleased if both of you join us for the celebratory feast. We were just about to begin."

The meal progressed quite smoothly once the two brothers sat down. Susan, acting graciously in what seemed to be the most natural manner, sat next to Loki as did Captain Rogers and Thor and Merlin. Though the experience was a strange but somewhat nostalgic one, Loki found himself enjoying their camaraderie. It had been quite some time since he had attended a feast or even socialized with decent people, and a part of him wanted to go back to those days before anger had clouded his mind. Perhaps there was hope for crossing back over the line to the light.

During the feast, Loki finally revealed the story of how he got to Rivendell as his true intentions.

It had begun deep within the Asgardian prison that held the god of mischief, where Loki and Thor had been arguing. A pair of impatient and impetuous hobbits had soon entered this scene, and after quickly debating what to do about taking Thor (while hopefully not getting smashed by his hammer) they had ended up taking both the Asgardians with them (through a long train of events that involved Merry getting tangled up in Thor's sandals and Thor getting tripped and grabbing on to Loki).

Because of all the confusion associated with the grabbing of Thor, the two hobbits emerged arguing over whose fault it was they nearly got squashed to death by a mighty hammer and completely missed the fact that they had brought two people instead of just the one. None of the other companions who'd been grabbed and brought to the wood (and who were very, very dazed) noticed the extra guest.

As it happens, Stark and Banner had been on one of the upper floors of Stark Tower examining Loki's staff as a favor to Nick Fury when the hobbits arrived for them, and thus was the staff brought (by an oblivious Banner) into Middle Earth.

Their entrance into Middle Earth also caused Loki some luck in evading notice. When they arrived (in an event reminiscent of a "beaming down" from Star Trek) Loki had the misfortune of entering the city just past the edge of the Council Circle, and instead of tumbling onto the hard floor, fell a few more stories into a nice, deep pool of cold water. Also, during the transition to Rivendell, Banner lost his grip on the staff which somehow skated behind a statue and out of sight. Having not known he had brought it with him from Earth, Banner never realized its absence.

The staff was later retrieved by a wondering (and rather lost) Merlin that night. He had brought it back to show Gaius but it had been late at night, and not wanting to disturb the old man from his sleep, had tossed it into the room he was using as his quarters. The next morning he had not had the time to examine it, nor did he mention it to Elrond as he forgot about it. Indeed, by the time Merlin made it back to his chambers that following night, it was gone. His tired mind hadn't even registered its absence.

Once had the staff, Loki devised his evil (well…mischievous) scheme. He was partially feeling spiteful toward the Avengers (particularly Hawkeye, who alone among the competitors he attacked with unnecessary venom) but mostly wanted to get back to Asgard. The benefit of this goal was that, win or lose in Rivendell, he would always be sent back home. Of course, he did not share this with those at the table with him (mischievous schemes are generally best kept to oneself), but it was in the back of his (somewhat but not entirely reformed) mind.

Everyone (especially Merlin) enjoyed the feast greatly, especially the food which had been gathered and cooked by the hobbits (there were a great many mushrooms in everything, but nobody minded). They all exchanged stories about their various challenges, and Merlin assured everyone that Guams the dragon was now in a better place (though he still didn't have any treasure, being the lazy sort of dragon).

Katniss, after apologizing to everyone she had killed, spent most of her time joking with Merida and Haymitch. The Avengers got along quite nicely with Robin Hood and Much. Gimli and Trumpkin became quite good friends by the end, and Robin Hood got rid of the last of his feelings for Susan who had come to like Captain Rogers quite a bit. They had discovered both were from a similar time on earth, and the bond of having lived during (or rather, through) WWII had sparked a strong connection between them. Although Aragorn and Arwen had left that morning, Boromir returned with many stories of his own to tell (about avoiding arrows and being not-dead, presumably).

The feast continued for several merry hours, which included two dancing hobbits atop the table, but finally the moon had risen, the candles were burning low, and everyone gathered couldn't eat another bite no matter how delicious it smelled or looked.

"So, Mr. Smith," Stark began from far where he sat at the foot of the table. "Are you gonna tell us who won or not?"

Lord Elrond wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood.

"In truth, the score tallies have become quite complicated due to recent events," the elf lord said, nodding to Loki who shrugged unapologetically. "But even with the new scores, only the competitors will be told their individual score."

"What?!" Katniss protested. Several other voices announced their distinct displeasure at the notion.

"Thassss not fair!" yelled Haymitch (happily drunk once more).

Elrond raised his hands to forestall further commentary.

"When this competition was devised, it was mutually agreed that no one would be told any score but their own," Lord Elrond explained calmly. "When you leave this world and return to yours exactly at the time you left it, your memory will be wiped, but something of your visit must remain. That something must be due to the purpose of why you are here."

"So that's what we will remember? Our score? A random number that will make no sense to us?" Hawkeye asked.

"Indeed."

"But you could tell us who won and wipe our memory of it," suggested Robin Hood.

"That would contaminate the memory," Elrond replied.

"But how will you tell us our own scores?" Katniss asked in bitter confusion.

"You will know," Lord Elrond answered cryptically.

"Who mutually agreed on this exactly?" Natasha questioned, her head cocked to one side. "And why are you hosting this competition anyway? You never exactly looked thrilled to be here."

The elf lord shifted a bit uncomfortably, hardly noticeable to the untrained eye.

"There was a wager," he finally said.

"I'm loving the flow of communication," said Stark acerbically.

"I am sorry to disappoint all of you," Elrond said with a conciliatory gesture, "but it is now time for all of you to go home. Master hobbits?"

Merry and Pippin jumped up (a bit woozy from all the ale) and saluted.

"Alright," Merry said briskly. "If you want to say any good-byes, now would be the perfect time."

"But you're not going to remember it anyway, so you might as well all link hands," Pippin added with a bit of a hiccup.

Farewells were given all around nonetheless because everyone couldn't help but feel they disparately wanted to hang on to all of the memories they had of the past few days. Finally, everyone stood linked in a circle together with all of the items they had brought from their worlds and none from Middle Earth.

"Be sure to put them back in their proper worlds," Lord Elrond instructed the hobbits with a meaningful stare. The two grinned back at him.

"Don't worry about a thing," Merry said confidently. (For some reason, Elrond still worried).

"We'll be back before ya know it," Pippin said jauntily. (For some reason, Elrond wouldn't have minded if they took their time).

Then the two hobbits put on the yellow rings, and everyone save Lord Elrond, Legolas (who had fully recovered from being mostly dead just before the feast had begun), Gimli, Boromir and Beorn were left. After so many voices and personalities, the Elven city suddenly felt quite empty once more.

The dwarf looked up at Elrond.

"I don't suppose you could tell _us_ who won?" Gimli inquired with a conniving look.

Lord Elrond smiled, picking up his glass of wine and draining it. He rolled the stem between his long fingers and gave the remaining three a knowing look as he told him who had won the First Interworld Archery Competition.

Gimli let out a hearty chuckle, but Legolas only smiled.

THE END

* * *

**A/N:** Aaaand, so as to keep you all from being in constant suspense for the rest of your lives…

Legolas won. C'mon guys…he's an elf.

**P.S.:** Unhappy with the ending and results? Well, **write an alternate conclusion** with the reasoning behind why that character should have won and send it to us. If we like it, **we will post it,** so happy writing! (Isn't this fun? It's like a post-contest!)

* * *

**Acknowledgements:** First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who read this crazy creation King Caspian the Seafarer and I concocted. I never thought this tale would last as long as it has, but I feel we have done it proper justice.

I also want to thank KC for joining me on this sixteen week journey across a new ocean filled with a massive main character list of competing personalities. The challenge was faced, and I feel confident we weathered all storms aptly. It was fun riding the waves of pre-existing characters and experiencing their personalities for a change. Some of them were smoother than others, but that is half the fun of writing a fan fiction.

This has been many firsts for me, including my first completed work, first co-authored novel, and first (and only) fan fiction. However, I sense my own characters are getting rather annoyed at my leave of absence (best not to upset them for much longer). As all things do, we have come to the end of this particular voyage with the sight of land, and I must embark on another adventure. Once again, thank you for letting us entertain you. I hope we have made you smile, laugh, and sigh in frustration at some point in our creation.

Oh, and KC is the best, and no, I did not think about the endless nautical puns when I created my nom de plume. Farewell to you all.

~ **Waves**

* * *

**KC sayeth**: Waves, you better write more fanfiction. You're so darn good at it. :) Anyhow, thanks you SO MUCH to everyone who kept reading and kept reviewing all the way to the end. I enjoyed this ride so much, and am definitely proud of how this story was developed and the final wordcount. Guys. This thing is a MONSTER.

Thank you to our frequent reviewers **Lady Dunla, narniagirl11, Eavis, thewayfaringstrangers (Darth Mihi **and** RandomCelt), Lady of Stormness Mountain, Skiebyrrd, OnlyTheBeginningoftheAdventu re.**..guys, I wish I could name you all. But I'm too lazy. However, EACH AND EVERY one of your reviews were HEARTILY received and encouraged me (and Waves too) very much indeed. So thanks. :)


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